Forever faith in you
by Galak0
Summary: Judy and Nick work together as cops. Their relationship seems to go well until Nick become suspected by everyone for a obscure theft attempt. A NickXJudy fic. Edited by Heartshield
1. Trouble in Tundra Town

I don't own Zootopia.

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Chapter 1 : Trouble in Tundra Town

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1:45 PM

Judy and Nick had just been alerted to a robbery that had taken place in the heart of Zootopia: a jewelry store just on the outskirts of city center, heisted in broad daylight. The details on the crook revealed that he was either a fool or an amateur; he wore a hood to conceal his face, but his thick black and white skunk tail swayed clearly as he ran. Even if they didn't catch him this time, knowing his species would dramatically decrease the amount of work needed to track him down.

"Officer Hopps. Do you and officer Wilde copy?" The voice of police chief Bogo called out through her compact police radio.

Judy pulled the radio from its holster, holding it so that Nick could easily hear any further transmissions. "We copy loud and clear, chief."

"Information suggests that the jewelry store suspect from the previous dispatch was seen fleeing to Tundra Town. You two are the closest officers to his last known location." A GPS marker that had been sent remotely from police headquarters sprang up on the car's navigation screen. They were less than three miles away. "There's no intel on whether or not he's armed. Be careful, and show this skunk just why you're considered Zootopia's finest."

"Yes, sir! We're on it!" The eager rabbit holstered her radio. "Ready, partner?" She asked the fox beside her.

"It's no citywide conspiracy… but it's as good an excuse as any to spend the afternoon with my favorite bunny." Nick responded with a wry smile and gave her a thoughtful wink before sliding his sunglasses down over the bridge of his nose.

Judy returned the smile, then flipped on the roof lights and siren, set the police cruiser in gear and slammed the accelerator to the floor. They had a crook to catch.

 **TUNDRA TOWN**

To even low-level villains, Tundra Town was known for its criminal network and black market activity. Judy and Nick reasoned that the skunk almost certainly didn't live in this freezing climate, and was likely here to sell the stolen jewelry in some seedy hideout or another. Classic.

Judy and Nick's police cruiser tore down the chilly streets of the icy city sector weaving between traffic that barely had enough time to get out of her way; all weather tires and all-wheel drive working overtime. Seemingly unfazed, Nick casually browsed through a newspaper article, fully accustomed and trusting of his partner's driving skills.

"Hey, Carrots?" Nick asked nonchalantly from behind his newspaper.

"Hmm, yes, Nick?" Judy said in slight strain, focusing intently on the road. Though she once intensely disliked it, she had grown to enjoy that particular nickname he gave her; so long as he was the one saying it.

"Pistachio or peanut?"

"Wait, what?"

"I'm asking which you prefer: pistachio or peanut ice cream?"

"Why are you asking this now? We're in the middle of a pursuit."

"Exactly. We barely had time to finish our lunch before we got this dispatch, so after we pick this guy up and get him down to headquarters, I wanted to treat you to desert."

"Oh, umm..." Judy smiled at the thoughtful gesture. "For me it would be peanut."

Nick gave a mildly surprised scoff. "Peanut? What are you, a squirrel? Pistachio definitely has the better taste."

The rabbit turned the wheel sharply, barely avoiding sideswiping a car. "Why do you ask what I like if you're just going to tell me how much you don't like it? I like peanut ice cream. It's very tasty and it's _not_ just for squirrels." She retorted matter-of-factly.

The red fox took on a mockingly hurt tone. "Oh, Carrots… I was simply asking to make sure we have the same good taste. After all, having similar preferences really helps in getting along, wouldn't you say?" He gave her his signature wry smile again.

"Funny..." She began, veering sharply around a corner, nearing the position listed on their GPS. "Because I can't stand pistachio."

"Seriously? You've got to be kidding! I've never heard anybody say that before. Nobody. Not one. Everyone loves pistachio."

Judy rolled her eyes. "Then I'm the first; not that it would be surprising."

Nick went on. "Pistachio is sweet, smells good, it's soft, and it's green!" Nick lifted his shades, looking at her with his confident green eyes. Even though he knew she couldn't afford to pay attention to him, he was certain she was aware of him looking at her. "Come on, Carrots. You do at least like green, don't ya?"

Judy softened visibly, slightly easing off the accelerator of the cruiser. "Yeah, I love green, you know I do. Just know that I have the right to like what I like. As for pistachio, I'm sorry, but not everyone likes it like you do."

Nick softened as well, always retaining his playful smirk. "So, even though peanuts are lumpy, bitter, beige, and generally less delicious than pistachio... I'd be happy to buy you cupful of peanut ice cream once we're finished here, alright?"

"And I would be happy to accept a peanut ice cream from you, thank you, Nick." The rabbit couldn't help but grin.

Nick sighed. "Are you sure you're a rabbit? Because you're as stubborn as a donkey."

"Well then _there's_ something that we do have in common."

Judy screeched the cruiser to a halt right on top of the GPS destination and disengaged the police lights and siren. No skunk in sight. No surprise there. She pulled out her compact police radio and reported. "Officer Hopps to headquarters. Officer Wilde and I are at the appointed GPS location in Tundra Town, following up on the jewelry store robbery. The suspect does not appear to be in the immediate vicinity. Have you received any more information?"

There was a brief pause, then the response came through. "Negative, officer Hopps. Please standb- wait... " Judy felt her heart skip a beat in hopeful anticipation. "We've just received a report that the suspect, one male skunk, has been seen heading into _The Ice Pack Club_. Coordinates are being uploaded to your GPS."

"YES!" The rabbit cried out, a stark contrast to her formal manner of speaking from only a moment before. She pushed the button to transmit on her radio. "Thank you. We're on our way!"

Nick felt a genuine smile spread over his face. He loved how quickly Judy could go from behaving formally to barely being able to contain her eagerness and excitement. Her bubbly nature and optimism was infectious, and in a way he enjoyed.

1:57 PM

The Ice Pack Club was only a half-mile away. As the two officers pulled up in their cruiser, they were in store for a fortunate break. There, right out front, was a skunk dressed all in black, seeming to engaged in an argument with an arctic wolf.

"Hey, is that our guy?" Nick asked in amused surprise as he and Judy quickly unbuckled.

"If it is, that's one heck of a lucky break!" She responded; both opened their cruiser doors and jumped out, quickly moving toward the unsuspecting skunk.

A familiar pang of guilt struck Judy as they made their approach. She knew the skunk was probably the guy they were after, but it didn't sit right with her how easily she had formed an assumption that he must be the culprit because of his species and the clothes he wore… and that he matched the suspect's description and location perfectly… Even so, that this assumption seemed to fill her mind so automatically made that guilty sensation feel even worse. She imagined that after getting to know Nick, this part of her should've slipped away… no, now was not the time for such thoughts; she had a job to do, _they_ had a job to do, and as she felt the presence of the fox striding confidently beside her, Judy felt her resolve strengthen.

Judy warily called out to the skunk. "Excuse me, sir?"

The skunk turned his head slightly, only half paying attention, then motioned it back as if to continue his discussion with the wolf, before quickly doing a double-take with an expression of surprise and panic. In an instant he snatched up a small black sack near his feet and bolted.

"Police! Don't move!" Judy demanded.

"Not like he'd listen." Nick nearly growled out, his red fur instinctively bristling in anticipation of the chase. They both charged after the skunk as he quickly rounded the side of the building.

Nick pulled out his radio, nearly yelling into it in excitement. "Base, this is officer Wilde!" the fox panted out, keeping pace with his partner. "Officer Hopps and I are on foot, in pursuit of the jewelry store suspect! We're at The Ice Pack Club in Tundra Town. We'd appreciate some backup!"

"Copy that." The radio emitted as Nick hastily crammed it back into the holster.

The duo rounded the corner only a couple seconds after the skunk. The suspect was headed toward the other end of the club where there was a downward slope that led to the banks of a frozen lake. It would've made for a lovely view if not for the focus on capturing a fleeing criminal. Snow kicked up in billows as the skunk slid down the bank, stumbling at the bottom in an awkward fall. The fox and rabbit were closing in, sliding down the slope right behind, but the skunk scrambled back to his feet before they could reached him and - just as Nick and Judy suspected - ran toward the frozen lake.

"Stop! If you stop now you may receive a lighter sentence!" Judy cried out, she and Nick now only a half-dozen meters behind the fleeing skunk. He wasn't stopping, and he was definitely faster than he looked - fear of imprisonment is a strong incentive.

All three were out on the ice now, footing becoming difficult to maintain. Nick and Judy panted, the cold air stinging their lungs while the wind swept small flurries of snow up across the lake, pelting them and leaving specks of ice where their fur shown. Slowly they were closing the gap. They could get this guy. Twenty feet from the perpetrator became fifteen… became ten… suddenly there came a sound of ominous cracking. Their heavy footfalls weblike patterns across the frozen lake. The ice was thinner here.

"Carrots, the ice! Be careful!" Nick cried out in concern as Judy took the lead, having adapted and gained enough footing to break into a full sprint.

Judy let out a determined growl, a sound that most would consider quite odd from a rabbit. She was focused, willful, and a lot stronger than she looked. Only a couple meters between them now. The hard clink of jewelry from the small black bag and raspy, labored breathing of the skunk filled her ears, driving her forward even harder. With precision and momentum, Judy would strike hard, trip him up and take him down.

"GAHH!" The crook cried out in what Judy thought was a rather weasel-like tone. His foot had broken through the ice and caused him to stumble, sliding forward on his chest and face, his loot flying out of his hand.

Just as she was ready to make her move, Judy's foot slapped down behind where the skunks had, breaking a bigger hole into the ice. With a shocked cry of "Ni-!" The rabbit fell through the ice into the frigid waters of the lake.

2:00 PM

" _JUDY!_ " Nick screamed, eyes wide in horror as he watched his partner break through the ice, feeling a sick sensation as her ears disappeared beneath the deadly waters. The criminal was dazed, slowly regaining his composure, but right this instant Nick couldn't care less about him. Screw the jewelry, forget the crook, they were nothing. All he could possibly process right now was to save his partner… save Judy. He slid to a halt just before the now broken edge of the ice, not even considering that he might break through as well. The ice held, and the fox fell on all fours, peering in panic into the meter-wide hole in the ice. " _JUDY!_ " Though the sun shone down into the murky depths, Nick couldn't see her… but he heard something… tapping. He looked to his right and there was Judy, five-or-so feet away from the opening, banging on the underside of the ice.

Nick had once been taught that most people who drown in icy waters often do so because they either can't find the hole they fell through, or the undercurrent of the water drags them away so they can't get back to it. He didn't care which case this was. Without another thought he dropped into the water, making sure he was holding onto the edge while facing Judy's direction. This was pure agony, as if the ice had surged beyond his fur, skin, and muscle; straight to his very bones. He nearly gasped in surprise at the shocking sensation, but managed to resist the fatal temptation. His overworked lungs burned from all the running he'd just done and he instantly ached to resurface for air. If he felt like this so immediately, he could only imagine what Judy was feeling.

 _Save Judy._

 _Save Judy._

 _Save Judy._

The words beat through Nick's being like a mantra.

Nick could feel a mild current tugging at him, dragging him in Judy's direction. It wasn't very strong, but the way the frigid water seized his muscles made any movement feel stiff and difficult. Though the water burned his eyes, he could see her, his best friend and partner, clinging to the ice, kicking against the current to work her way back to the opening; back to the fox.

" _Judy, oh God, please hold on!_ " Nick held the opening of the ice with one hand, reaching out his other to her. He could see the hazy color of her fearful violet eyes. His heart screamed for him to be selfless and let go of the edge, to go to the freezing, drowning rabbit, wrap his arms around her, swim her back to safety. ' _Go be her hero_ ', the idea demanded, and every part of him ached to obey. Even so, the fox knew he should only do that as a last resort, and instead reached out to her while maintaining a grasp on the edge to the surface; this was their best chance of survival.

Judy scrambled, strain plastering her features as she kicked hard, reaching out to Nick, their fingertips touching. She couldn't hold out. Her muscles sapped too much oxygen from the chase, and she had been under too long. In a sharp burst, her lungs forced her to inhale, purging the air within and filling her with water… she went slack… and didn't register the desperate, vice-like hold of the fox stretching out to his limit, grabbing her wrist, and yanking her back to him. Despite the cold and muscle stiffness, he dexterously slung the smaller rabbit over his shoulder and pulled on the edge of the ice with all his strength, resurfacing, gasping for air.

"H-H-Hang in th-there, C-C-Carrots!" Nick's teeth chattered helplessly. He dug the claws of both hands into the ice, secretly praying it wouldn't break off from the rest, and hoisted himself and his unconscious partner into the surface. He wanted to tend to his best friend immediately, but the fox knew it was far too risky to stay so near the edge of the hole. It was a miracle the ice held enough to support both their weights in getting out.

With what Nick considered to be a reasonably safe amount of space between themselves and the thinnest ice, he quickly undid the velcro of her police vest, pulled it open to expose her chest. She wasn't breathing. The training from the academy kicked in; he placed one hand over the other just below her diaphragm and began to push in repeated burst motions to force the water from her lungs.

"Come on, Judy, come on. Breathe for me, please!" The desperate fox demanded. Sure enough, after a few more pushes, Judy convulsed sharply, spewing forth the water in her lungs. The hoarse, gurgling, agonized sounds that came from the small rabbit's throat as she coughed and vomited up the water sent a new chill up Nick's spine. It felt so foreign and wrong to see her in that kind of state, as if she'd been punched really hard in the stomach. Nick rolled her onto her hands and knees, allowing her to purge the rest from her system.

Judy panted and shivered. "N-N-Nick-k-k."

Nick scrambled out of his vest and pulled Judy to him, letting her chest press to his with both arms securely around her. "Shh, I'm here, Carrots. Breathe. Don't strain yourself." They were both freezing with soaked fur, but this slight shared warmth was much better than nothing.

"D-Did we g-get him?" She asked behind chattering teeth.

Nick had completely forgotten about the suspect. "We'll get him next time, don't worry."

Judy felt a pang of annoyance at their failure, but then relaxed and clung to Nick's larger frame. Being a great cop was her passion, her dream, and the rabbit knew that if she had been chasing a perpetrator and she saw anything happen to Nick, she would've ditched the pursuit and gone to help him without a moment's hesitation. She wasn't upset with him. In fact, she was glad to now realize that he would do the same for her, that Nick placed her above the job just like she did for him.

"N-Nick?" Judy's shivering and chattering teeth had lessened, though she still felt achingly cold. "Thank you… thank you for saving me." She rested her forehead to his collarbone, ears downturned as her head nestled under his chin, letting her eyes close for a moment.

His relief overrode any drive to make a witty response, so he let slip a sincere, "You're welcome," between labored breaths. "Please don't ever scare me like that again."

"I didn't mean to." The bunny nearly whispered. "I'm sorry."

"I forgive you." Despite the cold, he found his wry smile returning. "But you still owe me a new pair of shades." His playful tone reemerged.

"H-Huh?" Judy opened her eyes, looking up into his; violets to emeralds.

"When I went in after you, I forgot that my sunglasses were on top of my head, so they got washed away." He gave her a toothy grin. "I _suppose_ it was a good trade - some slick shades for a cute bunny - but then I remembered that you earn a paycheck, so now you owe me a new pair. I get to have my cake and eat it, too." Nick finished with a teasing wink.

Judy felt a smile spread across her face. Her brows furrowed in that playful way whenever she was going to make some witty response to her best friend. "Oh _really_ , mister fox? I don't see how your forgetfulness is my fault." Her smile turned to a smirk.

"H-Heh. I'm too cold to argue about it right now, so how about we put a pin in this and get somewhere warm?"

"Agreed." Judy stood, offering her hand to Nick, who took it gladly. She pulled him up with surprising strength; it was quite something that she had recovered this much so quickly.

"Thanks, Carrots." Nick steadied himself on his feet and shook his head wildly, spraying water all about, including onto his already soaking rabbit companion.

"Hey, stop that! I'm already drenched!" Judy whined a bit indignantly, yet couldn't help but start laughing at the silly look of Nick's 'poofy' damp fur. It didn't last long. Her laughter quickly turned into a painful cough.

Nick waited for her to finish before pulling her close again. "Carrots? Are you okay?"

She cleared her throat. "Yeah. Though I wouldn't be surprised if I caught a cold from all this."

"Let me carry you back." He kneeled, presenting his back to her.

"Nick, I'll be fine, I ju-"

"Judy..." Nick said sternly. "Please."

Judy coughed a couple more times before conceding. "Alright, Nick." She wrapped her arms around the fox's neck. He hooked his arms under her legs, stood up, and began walking. "Thank you." She whispered softly, squeezing tighter as the wind picked up once more.

Incoming sirens blared in the distance as they made their slow trek back to the shore. Through the sunny sky, flakes of snow began to slowly descend upon them. What a day.


	2. Retrouvailles

Chapter 2 : Retrouvailles

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The clock already showed midnight. Judy was alone in her very small apartment, and she didn't manage to sleep. It had been hours since she tried. The incident during the afternoon made her go back home much more earlier. At first, she had taken a shower, to warm herself from that last ice-cold bath, but also to get rid of some salt stayed on her fur. She let her clothes dry and directly went to bed. But it was useless, she just won't close her eyes. She felt her forehead boiling, and all her whole body was abnormally hot. The air which she inhaled was dry, and she was bothered by her own cough. In brief: she was sick, and her state was only worsening.

It wasn't a joyful day, even if at least, the skunk which she and Nick pursued a little earlier was stopped by another officer. Nick had helped Judy to go back home, aboard their cruiser. He had asked her if she would be fine alone, and she claimed that she didn't need help.

Judy sighed, one more time. The time seemed way too long for her. Even when she didn't cough, she could be disturbed by the surroundings noises. Either from the noisy neighbors, either by the cars outside. Obviously, each time she coughed, her neighbors could hear it. Sometimes, one of them began bawling when she was making too much noise.

While she tried all the possible and imaginable positions in attempt to sleep, she was interrupted by the ringing of her cell. She reached her arm to grab it and looked at the screen. It was Nick.

"Hello Nick? Why are you calling me so late ? "

"Hey I was sure you would not sleep. Look through your window. "

Judy stood up and did what Nick asked her to do, and she saw Nick himself standing in front of the building.

"Yo." Nick beckoned to her before entering the building, leaving Judy's vision. He was heading her threshold. It took not long before he knocks on Judy's door, who let him go inside.

"Nick why are you here? »

The fox looked all the way around. He had never visited Judy's house before, although he knew the address. He didn't seem too surprised by the deplorable state of the room. There was mold on the ceiling, the floor creaked and was seriously damaged, the wallpaper was falling off the wall. Even the furniture was old and in poor condition.

"Hey, Nick?"

The fox had forgotten to give Judy a reply, so much he felt concerned about the slum where she lived. It was worse than he thought.

"I came here to take you with me, Carrots." He walked to the center of the room. "Pack your bags, you moving home."

"W-Wait. Why? All of a sudden... "

"It's not in this infested dump that you will be cured." And he was not wrong, she knew it. Dry air coupled with mold could affect her lungs and increase the disease.

Nick approached her and put his hand against her forehead.

"You have more fever than before. Do you even take care of yourself ?" He coldly say, a worry look on his face.

Judy looked down, embarrassed. "Y-Yes of course. I bought medicines at the corner drugstore. "

"Tony's? Forget it, I know him just enough to say that he's a crook. Throw this stuff, I'll buy you another medicine if you want. Just hurry up to make your luggage. "

"Nick ... I don't know if it's reasonable ..."

"Trust me. You win nothing by staying here. You'll be much better in my home until you heal."

Judy was perplexed within a short time, then finally nodded in agreement. "Fine."

Nick helped her pack her bags. There was not much to pack in the apartment, since Judy was naturally orderly. She only took with her the essentials. Once the bag was ready, they left the apartment and left the building. Nick rushed to his car to open the car trunk and put Judy's affairs in it. He closed it and then walked to the passenger side to invite Judy to go inside. He opened the door and gave her a reverence accompanied with his usual smug smile. She smiled back at him and went inside. The fox walked around the car and took the driver's seat. He took the key and started the car. He backed down before leaving. Judy had never been in his house and she was curious to know what type of property her partner owned. Both animals were quiet during the route. Judy took advantage of the silence to watch Zootopia and its night lights through the window. The colors were beautiful, they were passing through all the chic districts of the metropolis. Then, after several minutes of driving, they arrived in a neighborhood a little more isolated from the heart, a quiet area with a few houses rather chic all well spaced from each other. Nick stopped in front of one of them.

"We're there." He said. "Everybody gets out."

"You mean ... this is where you live?"

"Yup."

"It's better than what I thought."

"Well, I like comfort, that's all."

They went out of the vehicle, Nick took Judy's suitcase in the trunk and then walked toward his front door. "There it is, make yourself at home." Judy went inside. The house was spacious. Everything was clean and tidy. Nick was way more organized than she first thought. The lounge was very welcoming and elegant with all the adequate comfort : TV and sofa. The fox asked her to follow him as he was climbing the stairs. So they went upstairs and Nick showed her his room. "This is where you sleep."

"What, in your room ? You know… well, I'm fine enough with the sofa and... "

"Oh Come on!" He interrupted her. "You're in my home, you cannot refuse anything from me. If I tell you that you can sleep here, it must mean that you have to sleep here. I will go to the sofa. You, you need a fine bed to rest." Judy looked away constrained, before releasing a small "Thank you".

"Well, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call me."

"Okay!"

He was about to leave the room, but the bunny interpellate him again. "Nick...really, thank you."

He smiled and left, closing the door behind him. Just after leaving the room, Nick went downstairs, took his wallet in the living room and left the house. He decided to go buy the correct medicines for Judy, in a night pharmacy maintained by badgers. It was only a few steps from home, so it was no need for the car. It took him five minutes of walking to get there. He made his purchases, put the drugs in a bag and left immediately. Shortly after leaving the pharmacy, Nick sensed a presence on his left. He turned his head toward a narrow alley where stood a silhouette which was very familiar : it was Finnick.

"Yo", said the fennec. "Long time no see, huh ?"

Nick looked surprised. He hadn't got any news from him for a long time. In fact, since Nick became a cop. Finnic remained in the crime, and they could not pretend not to know each other situation. Besides, the little animal let him know that he was fully aware of his new career :

"I heard that you had joined the other side of the edge, Nick." They stared a moment at each other. The fox just answered with a neutral "Yup", and wished the conversation would just end there. The situation was indeed embarrassing and could quickly degenerate, but his legs remained motionless. For Nick, it was just too awkward. Should he be happy to meet again his former partner ? Or should he return his jacket against him due to his new fresh moral duty ? If not, then would he continue to simply ignore him each time they meet? Nick didn't know what position he should adopt and Finnick knew he was feeling uncomfortable.

The fennec laughed uproariously.

"You must be kidding. Nick... as a cop." He was still laughing out loud as Nick gave him a fake smile, then the fennec sat up in front of him with a more serious expression on his face.

"Hey, seriously Nick... is it what I think it is?" The fox didn't say a thing, so he continued. "A bunny ? You turned your jacket because of a bunny? "He glanced at the plastic bags. "And that, is it shopping for your girlfriend ? Tss… Nick, what are you now? Her pet ?"

"Judy is my friend." He curtly said.

"I don't understand you, Nick. You and I were partners. We helped each other. We were like two buddies, huh? If I left you behind with your beloved bunny, it's only because she had decided to hold you hostage a few days, but I didn't think you'd fell for her to finally betray me instead. "

The fox looked away and sighed. "It has nothing to do with you and... you get the wrong ideas. It's just that... a lot happened and…" He had trouble finding his words, but the little animal in front of him didn't let him go on.

"Hey, I don't care of your explanations." He continued: "You know, it's hard to work alone in my profession. Because of you I have to look for other teammates. Almost all good scams require work in pairs, you know that ! And, since you're not there anymore, I had to consider to change my methods, to consider other plans and ... hey! tell me what is it in your pocket ! "

Nick was pressing back in his pocket what he was holding but Finnick was faster than him as he rushed on him to snatch the object he had in hand. He laughed.

"A carrot shaped pen ? Dear foxy, you're falling even lower than what I first thought."

He laughed again, then looked him straight into the eye with a serious gaze. "What was your intuition with this thing ?"

"I didn't record anything yet... I bring it with me just for safety precaution." He said as he tried to justify himself.

The fennec checked the recorder-pen, trying to find out if he was saying the truth. "You know Nick, you're not able to stop me anyway. I have too much compromising files about you, about our past. Your girlfriend maybe knows who you used to be, but I doubt the police department know all your exploits. I don't think they will close their eyes on what I could tell about you. And even if I have to be arrested by a cop other than you, I will make you responsible for this. But that day will not happen, isn't it ?"

"You seriously intend to blackmail me?"

"Just for safety precaution." He threw him back the carrot microphone, Nick caught it in mid-air while the fennec was leaving the place.

"You know you'll never dare arrest me." He said before vanishing.

* * *

Okay, you know what ? I read a lot of other fanfictions in the Zootopia fandom lately (some really good fics here) and I can tell my english still not allow me to improve my writing, which is a bit regretful knowing that I'm usually very meticulous about it. I'm still not quite comfortable with the language for that, so my first concern is to know if the story is clear enough while reading. Maybe I should hire a translator. I may think about it according the feedbacks.


	3. Shall we dance ?

Hey guys, sorry for the late update. I worked hard this week in my studies and there was no time for writing. I'm back, one week after and... I must say I'm impressed by all the new stuff we have there. Over 180 fanfictions for Zootopia, almost 10 new stories each day since the film came out in USA. It's insane. The fandom is growing up well. It's becoming rich. I wonder if we will have as many fics as the Frozen fanfom (which is over 9000 !).

My mind wanders here ! Let's focuse on the next chapter. Enjoy !

* * *

Chapter 3 : Shall we dance

* * *

Nick had just returned home. He sighed. The discussion he had shared with his former partner had made him tense. He first switched on the light of the stay, slowly closing the door behind him. He didn't want to wake her friend who was sleeping upstairs.

He laid the plastic bags on the table and pulled the medicines out. He put them in the closet next to the kitchen and then took a quick glance at the couch. He was not feeling pressed to go to sleep. In fact, he was not tired at all, despite the hard day he has experienced, despite the fact that it was already the mid night. The appeal of the sofa didn't please him more than that, but he still had to bring himself to sleep. He went to the dressing room looking for a sheet and a pillow. He walked back to the living room and turned the sofa in bed. He slipped under the sheet and closed somehow his eyes. Just installed, he heard Judy coughing upstairs. She wasn't sleeping yet. Maybe she was suffering from insomnia too? He thought.

Nick turned his head towards the oven to check the time. It was almost three AM. Geez... The time went so slowly. He looked for a comfortable position to sleep but the sofa was rather rough for his preference. He began to develop a headache as he could not relieve his thoughts. He wished he could stop thinking in order to find the needed peace to sleep, but he was too much tense.

Then he heard Judy cough for the umpteenth time. He made up his mind and stood up, he left the room to go upstairs. He knocked on the door, and Judy immediately straightened up her ears. The fox quietly opened the bedroom door, leaving a strand of light seeping in and enlighten the bunny on her bed. She put her hand over her eyes to protect herself from the light as she narrowed them to better observe the silhouette of the fox who was standing right before her.

"Nick, what are you doing ? It's late."

"Hey Carrots, would you like to get some fresh air outside again ?"

Judy was looking at him, trying to find out if he was serious about his sudden proposal. "Nick, I'm sick, and it's dark outside. You've already made me leave my house bringing me here anyway. I am already grateful for that. "

Nick rubbed his neck and looked away, realizing he was probably bothering her.

"It's just... I heard you cough and I thought you could not sleep... same deal for me. "

She sighed, but she knew he wasn't wrong. Both of them had independently thought that they would fail to sleep anyway. And after seeing all the beautiful night lights of Zootopia a little earlier, Judy was not against the idea. Maybe they could try to relax, even just a little. She finally agreed.

They dressed, Judy in the room and Nick in the living room. When Judy went down the stairs, ready to go, Nick came to her and handed at her a glass of water with a medicine inside.

"I bought your medicine as promised."

He showed her his signature smug smile and that made her giggle. "Thanks," she said. She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. "You were not forced to do so."

"What are you saying Carrots ? Between partner it's only natural."

She drank it all and quickly swallowed the medicament before leaving the house with her companion. They took the car, Nick was driving. He switched on the motor and left the area.

"Where are we going?" She asked as they left the city.

"Be patient, it's a surprise."

Judy seemed a little surprised as she expected a stroll in town. But she asked no more questions, she trusted her partner and was fine being led. She stretched all her members and let her head tilted back on the seat. She already seemed more relaxed than earlier. Nick understood this and put some music for her to enjoy the journey. All Along The Watchtower, Jimi Hendrix.

"Again the same classics, huh? "

"Nothing better."

She chuckled. Nick and his old boy tastes ! She let herself be carried away by the music and began moving her head rhythmically. Classic Judy here ! Always ready to enjoy life to its fullest even while being sick. Nick smiled when he saw her adhering so easily to his music, even though she was joking about it right before. The fox was getting excited by one of his favorite track, and hummed some lyrics, but he tried his best to keep his cool behind the wheel. A pleasant and relaxed atmosphere gently took place in the car. The journey was already releasing them from their stress. Judy seemed to almost forgot she was ill. Her ears were straightened to their maximum. Good sign ! That didn't prevent her from coughing once in a while, though. Both of them were enjoying every little second spent together, and it was only the beginning !

"We're almost there," Nick blurted. They had just left the road to venture down a beaten path. No street lights around, but the sky was clear enough, and the moon round enough to see the landscape.

Judy looked through the window and opened her eyes wide. "The sea !"

They were on top of a cliff, and Nick was driving near the edge. The sea itself was not clearly visible, but the smell and the sound of waves were holding Judy's attention.

The car went down a long slope until it dig into the sand. They stopped in the middle of a wild beach.

Judy was the first to get off the car. She was so excited. It was the first time she discovered the sea. Although she was in her mid-20s, her family had never taken her to the beach before, too busy with the farm and their many children. Moreover, Judy's strong will to become a cop in Zootopia had turned her away from this kind of trip. She was hopping cheerfully on the sand as she walked to the edge of the water. She could only saw instead of waves a dark mass stretching as far as the eye could reach. The noise was loud, but the enthusiasm of Judy for the sea was still there. Her face and her thoughts were already elsewhere.

Nick joined her a few seconds after. He had conceived the idea to make a fire here in the middle of the beach. He had previously brought timber and material he had transported into the trunk of his car, as if he had anticipated the occasion, or as if he was accustomed to this kind of adventure.

Fact remains, Nick started the fire on the hardened and soaked sand which preceded the sea. He had carefully arranged pebbles around to delimit the fire. Initially, the embers had trouble starting because of the slightly wet sand, but it didn't prevent the flames to finally grow and to reach a fine height !

Judy turned back to watch the fire. She had a big smile on her face. She was more than happy with the show that Nick was offering to her tonight. She ran to her friend who was sitting near the fire and jumped on his back !

Nick's body was driven forward by the sudden shot, as Judy was strongly hugging him because of the over excitment. She may be smaller than him but she was pretty strong for her kind, and he knew it.

"Carrots, you're gonna break my bones."

Judy realized that her embrace was too strong, she released her grip a little and apologized giving him another kiss on his cheek. She then grabbed his key ring. "Let me borrow 'em for a bit." She left him right after, always hopping happily. She was definitly too much energetic for a sick animal. Nick rolled his eyes. Even if they were closer and closer in their relationship, it was rare for him to receive a kiss from Judy. And should he make her remember she should not kiss anyone while being sick He acted as if nothing happened, the way he usually did when she was becoming too much tactile, even in spite of herself.

Judy walked toward the car, and with the keys, she started the car ignition, not to drive, but for bringing music. (Author's note : I recommend you to start playing « Bad Boy Good Man », music by Tape Five, for a better story's immersion)

Nick pricked up his ears back, he recognized the tune immediately. He turned his head to see behind him the bunny approaching him while dancing.

Nick smiled. He got up and walked silently in her direction. He offered his hand as he stared into her eyes.

"Do you mind dancing with me ?"

"Of course not." She grabbed his hand, her smile all the more brightened by the warm light of the fire that dimly lit the area. The moving tempo and the pulsing urge to dance along were strong. They both began to tap their feet along with the tempo. More in more, their steps evolved into more bouncy energized movements, hopping and stepping together. She couldn't help but smile, letting out a giggle. He looked back at her and mock-seductively wriggled his eyebrows, making her smile all the brighter.

She can tell he was a really great dancer. Despite being taller than her, he knew exactly how to adapt his steps for her, taking account her smaller size. Still, he was leading this dance, his feet moving in a very fashionable way, kicking and tapping with an impressively fast coordination that she'd never seen before. She stood on tiptoes to meet her friend's ear.

"I never expected you being such a great dancer !" He smiled and made her twirl.

"You're not bad either." There was a playful grint in her eyes.

Firmly grasping their hands together, Nick would pull the bunny girl close against him, chest to chest, before pulling back, giving them space to twirl and jump to their hearts content. The music continued to blare with the same amount of buoyant energy. Judy couldn't hold in her laughter. They began to spin around together, the perimeter of the beach becoming more and more hazy. In his newfound bravado, Nick reached for her hips, lifting her up in the air, spinning her around all the while. The lighting was perfect, the music was just right and Nick deep emerald eyes met her's like a spark, sending tingles down her spine. When her feet meet the ground again, her hands were still steady atop of his shoulders, and Nick's hands were still steady against Judy's hips. The song ended gradually and both came to one definite stop. Nick knelt down, all exhausted. Judy rested her sweat drenched forehead against Nick's, both of them panting uncontrollably. Judy then let herself fell on the sand. She smiled sheepishly, all the while struggling to maintain her breath. Nick did the same back, rejoining her on the sand.

Nick tried his best to come off smooth, to say something cool and witty. "Hey there," was all that came out. Nevertheless, Judy chuckled. Back on the sand, their eyes get lost in the stars. There were much less numerous than a few minutes ago, as the sun slowly began to rise up, giving back a azur color to the sea.

There was a short silence between the two friends, then Judy turned her head toward Nick, still panting.

"Tank you again… for being so much present for me." The fox chuckled in response.

"I lost count of all the times you were telling me thank you in this single day."

"I can't thank enough my most beloved partener." She said, smiling.

Nick remained silent a moment, as if his mind became doubtfull because of what she just said. He turned his head and looked straight into her eyes.

"What is a friend for you ?" He asked.

Judy noticed the serious and concerning look on his face. She turned her head back toward the sky, thoughtful.

"Hm… I'd say it's someone very important for us, who bring happiness and smile in our everyday life. Someone who will always do its best for helping us during bad times ?"

Her voice becomes increasingly sleepy. She even let out a wide yawn at the end of her sentence.

Nick was watching the sky too. He remained silent again, back in his thoughts. After what seemed an eternity, he continued, hesitantly :

" What if… we're even more than that ? "

He looked back at her. She had just fallen asleep. Nick smiled, althought he was disappointed inside for the lack of response. But any way, she was just so cute with her eyes closed, her body fully lying on the sand. The fresh rising sun was making the sea twinkle. She would have loved contemplating this new landscape. But he would not wake her up, now that she finally managed to sleep after all this time.

He stood up. He removed the sand from his clothes and his fur and then hold Judy in his arms.

"Time to go back home." He whispered to her.

* * *

Writing a dancing scene was much more difficult than I thought, trust me. I hope I succeeded.

And for those who wonder about how the plot progress, well, it's true that we're still not in the situation I described in the summary. In fact, I originally planned to introduce it long before, at the end of the very first chapter. But I changed my mind and I have decided to take my time to set the "keys" of the story, which are fundamentals for me. The relationship between Judy and Nick is obviously the main key.

Still, things will move forward soon.

See you soon ! Probably in less than one week this time. I'll try writing faster.


	4. All alone

Chapter 4 : All alone

* * *

Judy was awakened by the strong sunlight. She opened her eyes with difficulty and was waiting several seconds to adjust her gaze to the light in order to see where she was. Her vision was still blurry but she could already tell she was lying on a bed, covers recovering her up to the neck. She sat up and recognized Nick's room. This last one had probably brought her to his room and covered her in his own bed.

" _Such a sweetheart fox."_ She mockingly thought, a bright smile on her face. The weather was nice outdoors. She could hear the birds singing. The room was very bright as the sun was shining high in the sky ! The light was gently warming Judy's face. She closed her eyes, trying as much as possible to enjoy this pure moment of calm and relaxation. But a thought made her stop daydreaming, what time could it be ?

She took a look on the nightstand next to her, there was a clock above it. It was already showing 2 PM ! They normally had to be at work !

The calm immediately changed into stress. She took off the covers and jumped out of the bed. She dressed quickly and left the room.

"Nick, are you there ?" She ran down the stairs. "Why did you not wake me earlier ? Damn I don't believe the morning is already over for hours ! "

Once downstairs, she looked around the floor. "Nick?" She walked over to the sofa where Nick had spent the night, the sofa-bed had been carefully made. Usually, it was Judy who was the early-riser one. She walked around the surrounding rooms, in the kitchen, the living room, even in the bathroom, but there was no sign of him. He even left his phone on the dining room table. He and his smartphone were never seperated too long ! She went this time outside, in the garden. "Nick ?"

Still no answers.

She noticed just one thing, his car wasn't there either. Probably he left somewhere... but where ? Would he go to work without her ? Without her partner ?

She remained perplexed for a moment. A fresh breeze made her shiver. In fact, it even made her cough. Her cough was fatter and stronger, making her bowing forward. That was true. She was still sick. Maybe he went on a mission without her because of her condition ? He didn't wake her up because he wanted her to continue to rest. Yes, it made sense. Nothing to worry about. But still, he could have warned her. Especially since without vehicle, she was forced to stay inside the house and could not go downtown.

" _Dumb fox."_ She thought. " _What are you thinking about ? Leaving me all alone_. "

She hurried back inside to protect herself from the wind. She actually needed some rest. She was really feeling weak. Her muscles were tired, although she had slept several hours. The very rhythmic dance from the previous night hadn't helped her to feel better, even if it had allowed her to forget her real condition for a short time. She smiled as she remembered her jumping and running in all directions. " _I really pushed my body too far"._ She thought. " _I can't believe I did all of this."_

She thought of her partner again, hoping he was okay. Anyway, Nick was a police officer now, and a good element of the ZPD, he could take care of himself. She had to trust him more, that was what she thought. She just hoped he would not be affected to too tough missions during her absence. There was a armchair next to the sofa. And a TV too. She knew she had to recover, but the appeal of the remote control was too strong. She took it and sat on the chair. She switched on the TV and watched what was coming. Nothing interesting, a drama in one channel, advertising in another one. She was flicking through until she'd find something that could make her killing time. Until she found... this.

A news channel was replaying a robbery report which had occurred in the late morning. "We actually have few informations for the moment." Began a journalist. "The break-in occurred shortly before noon at 15th Boulevard Haussmann in the large luxury horology Bell & Boss. The employees of the shop, all racoons, are nocturnal animals that had closed their shop shortly before the facts. More than a dozen high-value products were stolen, for a total of over 80 000 coins. "

" _The Boulevard Haussmann,_ " she thought, " _It's not far from here_."

Suddenly, she let go the remote control, covering her mouth instead. Her ears fell back and her eyes widened with surprise when she discovered the photo of the suspect.

"A surveillance camera was able to identify the silhouette of a red-haired fox escaping the scene shortly after the incident. Although the images are lacking of clearness, the estimated size and the physical characteristics of the animal are all fitting with the single fox currently living in Zootopia : Nicholas Wilde."

"Impossible ! "

Simultaneously, she saw through the window a car from the ZPD coming at full speed. It stopped right in front of the house, the siren still active. Officiers Humps and Spitz came out of the car, armed with guns and handcuffs. The two policemen forced the entry, although the door wasn't locked, and rushed into the living room. The two officers stopped when they noticed the presence of their bunny colleague.

"Officer Judy ?" Started one of them. "What are you doing here ?"

"I-I ..." She couldn't finish her sentence, as the confusion was invading her mind.

"Where's Nick?" Asked the other one, while the first of them hastened to tour the house.

"I don't know." She finally let go with a stronger voice. "Please, don't mistake yourself, Nick has certainly nothing to do with all of this, it's a misunderstanding!"

"Sorry officer, but orders are orders. Where is he ? "He asked again calmly, believing firmly that Judy wasn't telling him all the truth.

"I swear I don't know !" She shouted, feeling herself loosing her calm.

"I don't see him anywhere !" Shouted the officer Spitz from upstairs.

Downstairs, officer Humps looked back into Judy eyes. She was still kneeling on the armchair. Her gaze still filled in confusion but also with anger towards her two colleagues who were looking for her best friend.

"Officier Hopps." He began with a calm tone. "Please put your uniform and get in the car with us. The chief certainly have questions for you. "

Later that day, Judy and the two other officers arrived at the police station. The lobby was empty since the other officers were already gone on mission for a while. Clawhauser was still faithful to his post. But today was a different day. He was not the cheerfulness cheetah he used to be as he sadly watched Judy in the eyes, not hiding the compassion he felt for her. There was somehow a heavy and cold atmosphere as the three officers walked to Bogo's office. Barely inside, they could see all the rage that Bogo was trying to contain. He was definitly upset as he stared at the rabbit that stood before him.

"What is the meaning of this !? Officer Judy ?" Judy didn't seem destabilized, as she was trying to stay strong to calm down the situation.

"Chief, I watched the news, I was as surprised as you, but let me tell you that-"

"What were you doing in Wilde's house ?" He curtly interrupted, hitting the table with his fist. His cheeks were reddened by the anger and his eyes were even more threatening.

"He invited me to his house the time I heal." She said as firmly as possible. "He considered the state of my apartment too dilapidated to help my recovery."

"And you think I'd trust you for saying that ?"

"That's the truth, chief. But if I may say, I would like you to know you are mistaken. Nick is innocent. "

"Oh..." He frowned and tilted his head toward her, staring into her eyes. "And what make you so confident about this ?"

Judy didn't flinch, trying to stay as persuasive as she could.

"Nick is my friend ! And also a valuable member of the ZPD ! He helped us many times and has already proved he was worth working here." She frowned in return, not afraid with arguing with her superior. "Of course I'd not doubt him !"

"Even though the videos show him fleeing away from the store ?"

"I'm sure it wasn't him, it should probably be another..."

"There is no other red fox in Zootopia !" Shouted back the buffalo. His deep voice could be heard from the entire building. His scream frozed her on the spot, as she lowered her head before him, eyes closed. She had never felt intimidated by her superior like that before. There was a brief silence. Bogo wasn't wrong, though, Nick was the only one red fox of Zootopia, despite the presence of another arctic fox and a fennec. Bogo then resumed with a calmer tone. "Officer Judy, look into my eyes." She slowly raised her head, a fragile expression in her eyes.

"Were you aware that Nick Wilde was a con-artist ?"

Judy was surprised by the unexpected question. "What?" Was all she managed to get out.

"Were you aware that Nick Wilde was a con-artist?" He repeated firmly.

She opened her mouth as she wanted to answer him, but she couldn't. She sighed and closed her eyes, lowering her head again with floppy ears.

The buffalo stood up and walked a few steps toward the broad window of his office. "That's what I thought." He looked a moment at the view of Zootopia he had before him. Oddly, one ounce of disappointment seemed to replace his anger. "Why am I the last to be aware of that ?" He said looking through the window.

Judy looked at him again. "Chief, I assure you it doesn't change anything."

"This changes absolutly everything!" He shouted, turning back to her. "How do you want me to trust my own subordinates if you guys hide me illegal activities from one of them ?"

"But he has changed !"

"Do you think so ? So why would he not be there ? What about his missing car ? "

She could not answer that question. She looked away again and bit her lower lip. She was frustrated feeling so hopeless.

But she hadn't said her last word yet. She had imagined this scenario. She wanted to try asking one more thing, determinedly.

"Please chief, let me investigate." She was unfortunately interrupted by her own cough. It happened several times, and at such a bad time. She was losing all credibility, and she was well aware of it.

"Some teams are already on the spot. I will not let you go there, officer Hopps, for two reasons. Firstly, because a police officer must be impartial during an investigation, and I doubt your friendship for that fox will not influence your judgment. Plus, you are sick... Go home ! And treat yourself ! "

"Chief, please, I-"

"Don't discuss my orders." He sharply said, sitting in his chair. "I authorize you to return to your former partner home just to take back your bag, but soon after, I want you to go back home."

Judy guessed through his final sentences he meant to break their partnership. But it wasn't such a big surprise, it was pure logic when a police officer was officially suspected of a crime. She left her superior's office and headed out of the ZPD with the most depressed face she ever had. She put her paw on the door, but then heard a voice calling her from behind.

"Judy !" It was Clawhauser. She turned around to notice the cheetah looking at her with the same saddened expression.

"Hm- I heard the discussion coming from above and... I'm sorry."

She looked away. "Oh ... Don't worry about it." She pushed the door to open it.

"I- I think Nick is innocent too."

She stopped moving and looked back at the feline's eyes.

"Thank you, Clawhauser." She left.

Because she was not allowed to take her police car, strictly limited for professional use, she was willing to use public transport. She feared the bus, and she had some reasons. She was famous in almost all Zootopia. Not that it bothered her to be questioned by countless fans, but today just wasn't the right day for it. Onboard the bus, she was shaken by two journalists who were unfortunately there, and then came a horde of animals that inundated her with questions. All of them concerning Nick. "Are you aware of the last robbery that occurred in the city ?" "Do you think your partner has actually commited the crime ?" "Is he still officier ?" "Where is he ? "" What do you know about this case ? " She did her best to avoid answering, apologizing politely as she pushed back the mics out of her trajectory. She made her way through the crowd and went out at the first stop, starting running on the street, before the stunned eyes of people who saw her fleeing away. She had to go all the way on foot. However, it took her a good hour walk to Nick's house. His car was still missing outside. She opened the door. Still no signs of him. The house seemed so empty, so sad, as Judy walked in all dejected, heading Nick's room. Everything was so quiet, only the creaking of the door could be audible. She remained still for a moment, in the center of the room. Her suitcase was there, next door, but she didn't feel to leave immediately. She stared at Nick's bed for a while. It looked so comfortable. She fell on it, without even removing her uniform.

 _"Nick."_ She thought. Her paw grabbed the pillow and pressed it against her face. She went under the bedclothes. She could recognize the smell of her friend emanating from the pillow. Somehow, it brought her comfort. She tightened her grip further. _"Nick."_ She thought again.

The sun had disappeared, the birds she had heard before weren't singing anymore. The room had become much darker, colder and was awfully quiet. Judy pressed against her chest the only source of heat she was holding between her paws. She curled and, without realizing it, she fell asleep. It lasted several hours. This cursed day was definitely exhausting her up to the hilt. Her thoughts was exclusively turning over Nick, even in her dreams. Her sleep was agitated, she was stirring in all directions, her eyebrows didn't stop frowning. She was developping a headache, and when it became troublesome enough, she woke up. She was sweating and gasping heavily. She had body aches all over her weakened body. And... on top of that, she still coughed. She was still lying on the bed, forever tired, both physically and mentally. Nick obsessed her.

 _"Where are you ? Dumb fox. "_ Her eyes became wet again. She remained motionless for a moment, then, a thought crossed her mind. Not a good thought.

 _"What if ..."_ She lifted her head and ears. Her face seemed more stressed than ever ! She jumped out of the bed and ran downstairs. She then left the house and ran outside. She was heading the Boulevard Haussmann, still running, despite her deplorable condition.

"Nick!" She shouted in the street. She was ignoring passersby who looked at her all concerned by her strange behavior. "Nick!" She screamed his name several times in the neighborhood. It was late outside, darkness was already falling. Judy was pretty sure of one thing, Nick had been kidnapped ! She could not explain it, but it was the only thing that get into her mind. Or at least, she couldn't find other explanations !

 _"Nick"_ She thought. _"Are you going well ?"_ She approached the boulevard. _"Don't worry, I'll find you !"_ Above her, one could read a plate indicating Boulevard Haussmann. She was panting heavily and was sometimes forced to slow down to catch her breath, then immediately resumed her furious race when she felt ready to continue. _"Wait for me ! I will save you !"_ She arrived at the gates of the famous shop. The one which all media were talking about since this morning, the Bell  & Boss horology, 15th Boulevard Haussmann.

She went inside the building. It was a rather large shop, and as luxurious as it was suggested on television. The doors of the shop were open despite the recent incident. There was no customers but only employees. The flight had indeed taken place, some glass have been broken, and some stands were emptied of their contents. There were still several watches in the surroundings, but one could guess that the most valued items were all gone. The managers, all racoons, were rehabilitating their store. Sweeping away broken glass lying around on the floor.

"Sorry ma'am, but we still don't welcome customers at the moment." Said one of them to the rabbit.

"Officer Judy." She said, showing her card, still panting. She coughed briefly. "I guess my colleagues already asked you several questions about the robbery."

"Indeed." Said the racoon looking down. They directly knocked to our respective house to warn us of the flight. Some of us rushed to see the damage caused. The only thing we were able to do was to discover with them the videos from our camera."

"May I take a look at the videos please ? I need to check something. It's urgent !"

"I'm sorry officer, but your colleagues already took the records with them to the ZPD."

Judy was still unable to resume her normal breathing. She closed her eyes and put a paw on her hot forehead, she was really frustrated for coming in this place way too late. She tried to keep calm and stay strong before the civilians. She would not allow herself showing any sign of weakness. Yet, another thought of Nick caused her eyes to get wet again. She tried to hold back her tears before the racoons who wondered what was going on.

"At least we know the guilty." Said a voice from the back of the store.

"Yes, it's true." Said another one.

Judy straightened her ears as the voices get her attention.

"It's all the fault of this fox !"

"Yes, this young Mr. Wilde, or whatever his name ! He fooled us ! "

" _It's wrong !_ " Judy thought. She clenched her fists, still trying to appear cool-headed.

"According to the people outside, he has been recruited as a cop !"

"Do you imagine that ? A fox ? As a police officer ?"

"And to think he's just another criminal. They're all the same ! "

" _You're all wrong! Nick ! He's in danger ! I know it !_ "Judy's breath was becoming shorter.

She oddly felt more and more oppressed. Droplets of sweats were now running down her fur. She felt a weakness in the knees, not yet recovered from her race.

"These people don't deserve to live." Continued one of the animals.

Several racoons nodded in response. Judy could no longer remain strong. She was tired… of all of this.

Her head was hurting ! So badly ! She coughed again. One of the racoons turned to face her.

"Hey, are you okay ?"

She was feeling dizzy as her knees became increasingly sensitive. She could no longer breathe normally, and gasped louder and louder.

More and more animals were gathering around her.

"Hey, are you sure you're feeling okay ?"

She no longer thought of anything. The image of Nick has been the last image in her mind as she suddenly fell on the ground, eyes closed, sweating profusely. She was panting heavily.

"She's hyperventilating !" Shouted one of them. "Someone, call for help ! "


	5. Morning bread

Chapter 5 : Morning bread

* * *

The next morning, Judy woke up in her little moldy apartment. Her home, not Nick's. An ambulance had kindly agreed to take her back home.

Her seizure that had occurred a few hours earlier hadn't lasted long, but it had made all the animals in the shop worried. When the ambulance had arrived, Judy had already more or less regained her composure and her breath. The caregiver had only advised her to drink enough water and rest. She needed to release her stress. Easier said than done, especially when her best friend could potentially be in danger.

Barely out of bed, Judy called the precinct with her phone, unable to shake off her sad mood. She knew she was supposed to quietly stay at home, but she needed to see the video of the robbery with her own eyes. It was the same colleagues Humps and Spitz who came for her. In the car, Judy didn't say a single word. She was sitting in the back seat, her elbow against the glass. She wasn't feeling good. She had promised to Bogo she'd not interfere, yet, she did. Plus, she had been no use in the investigation. She hadn't been able to find something to clear Nick or anything that would have explained his supposed disappearance. She would have to confront Bogo again, and it didn't comfort her. He probably would scold her for her disobedience.

Officers Humps and Spitz lead her to the precinct. She shyly thanked them and went alone inside the building. Clawhauser came to her with a worried face, apparently alerted by what had happened last night.

"Judy! Are you okay ?"

"I'm fine, don't worry." She continued to go straight in the direction of her superior's office with the same poor mood than earlier.

"You always say that. That's what worries me. "

"I assure you I'm fine." She lied.

She knocked on Bogo office's door.

"Come in."

She slowly walked in and sat down on the first chair she could see. Bogo was silently reading the police reports he was firmly holding in his hands. He had put his glasses he occasionlly used to read. He hadn't met her eyes since she had entered. He seemed calm, but she knew it would be silly for her to interrupt the silence. She wasn't in the right position to speak as long as he didn't speak first. After a few seconds, Bogo cleared his throat and put the reports on his desk. He finally dared looking at Judy.

"You know what ? I'm not even angry." He carefully took off his glasses and put them away in his drawer.

"I was almost sure that no matter what I could tell you, you'd do whatever you want anyway." He was sitting in an upright posture. "I'm not surprised at all."

She could clearly feel irritation from him.

"I'm sorry." She looked away, knowing her weak response would not be enough to justify her past action.

"No need for excuses. I know they're only half true."

Judy deeply felt uneasy, but the thoughts of Nick helped her remembering what she was doing there.

"Chief, please. Let me take a look at the video. "

Bogo stared a moment into her eyes, motionless.

"You should not see it."

"Why?" She shouted without realizing that she had raised her voice.

"Because you'll not like it !" He replied with the same tone. "Should I remind you in which condition you were found yesterday night ? Are you even aware of your illness ? If I show you the video of your friend trying to run away, a bag behind his back, I doubt you'd feel better. "

Judy looked down. He wasn't completely wrong. Even if she had a wide-eyed faith for Nick's innocence, deep inside, she had a bad feeling about this video.

He made his voice cooldown and calmly continued :

"I honestly know how you feel about this case, but I say all of this for your own good. "

Still, she could not give up on Nick. She had to convince herself again that Nick wasn't the one to blame. It was someone else, surely another fox. She knew she was rarely wrong in her intuitions.

She was about to speak again, trying to be as persuasive as ever :

"Chief, please. Do me this favor. I have to look at it. I need to be sure."

He sighed. He hesitated a moment, looking back at her determined, unwavering eyes.

"Fine. But don't complain afterwards. I've warned you." He took his radio and leaned toward it." Clawhauser ! Bring me the video."

The cheetah hurried to the office. Judy saw him with a USB stick in his hand and a small laptop. He put the computer on the desk and looked at Judy worriedly.

"I haven't watched the recording yet. I didn't dare touching it."

"But I did." Replied the chief.

Judy leaned before the screen, fully attentive. Clawhauser jumped back after clicking the play button, covering his eyes with his hands for not watching the scene.

The camera was focusing on the building emergency doors. Judy's heart quickened as she was waiting for the suspect first appareance. Then, after a few seconds, she could finally see it. She narrowed her eyes and could clearly distinguish with Bogo a red fox in the middle of the frame, a large bag of stolen items in his back. His apparition was way too furtive, he vanished only two seconds after being seen. Judy was immediately overgrown with a huge stress. Both his size and his stoutness actually matched Nick's.

"Wait, reset the video please !" Her throat and her stomach tightened, but as long as she wasn't sure that it was her friend, she had to keep play back the video over and over again. The fox's face was hardly visible, hidden in the darkness. He wasn't wearing any mask, but the picture was quite blurred and prevented a clear identification. However, a detail made her squint even more.

"Wait, reset again, please."

Bogo did what she ordered and Judy's eyes widened. :

"It's not him."

Bogo looked skeptical. "Are you sure ? Aren't you just trying to protect him, by any chance? "

"No, I'm affirmative." She could feel a huge relief invading her, her ears now fully raised up with satisfaction.

"What makes you say this ? For me this fox really looks like Nick. "

"True, they're alike. But Nick's tail is different."

Bogo turned his head back to the screen, frowning as he was desperately trying to see any difference. He couldn't.

"Yes. Nick's tail is different." She repeated with even more conviction.

For the buffalo, the tail of the suspect seemed to be just as thick as Nick's. He didn't understand how Judy could be so sure, just from judging the shape of the tail. Judy could feel behind her Clawhauser letting out a deep sigh in relief.

"I'm sorry but I'm still skeptical." Pursued Bogo. "If this isn't Nick, then who is it ?"

"Probably another fox living outside Zootopia. There're a lot of them outside the city."

Bogo remained thoughtful for a moment. Judy decided to seize the opportunity at this point.

"Chief, let me tell you this again, I want to investigate on this case. I feel worried about Nick, it's not normal that he's still not back here. I'm convinced something happened to him."

Bogo was still staring to nowhere, without saying a single word.

"Nick is an officer from the ZPD ! He would never drop us like that ! We have to help him."

Clawhauser was imploring his chief to let himself be convinced by Judy's words. The buffalo closed his eyes. His silence seemed to last an eternity. He turned to the large window of his office and finally spoke again :

"No, we can not help him." Judy and Clawhauser quickly closed their eyes and gnashed their teeth. "Only you can, as his best friend." He turned back toward her. Judy raised her head and listened all ears her boss continuing his sentence.

"Officer Hopps, here's your new mission. Find the true criminal and bring back officer Nicholas Wilde to the ZPD, unharmed. You have carte blanche. "

A bright smile illuminated both Judy and Clawhauser's faces. The rabbit hopped on site and headed toward her superior. If she could, she would have hugged him, but she just happily shook his hands with grateful thanks. Bogo let out a slight groan, and let her know she had to go away. True, she had no time to waste ! She walked to the exit and left the office. Barely out, Clawhauser smiled to his boss.

"You trust her after all. "

"I have to." He said while admiring the view of Zootopia through the glass. "Even if she drives me crazy, she's likely my best recruit. She already proved me several times that I was wrong, and I hope she'll still prove it in the near future. "

Clawhauser smile was all the more brightened by all these kind words. A funny thought came into his mind.

"I know that you care for Nick Wilde too. You miss him."

The buffalo loudly cleared his throat and looked at Clawhauser, taking back a much more authoritarian voice :

"And you should take example from officer Hopps ! Despite her illness, she's doing her best at work ! While you, you're as gluttonous as before ! Go back to your post, and make it snappy ! "

Now that Judy was officially assigned on a mission, she could use again her patrol car. Good thing. She was sick of relying on her colleagues. She went to Nick's neighborhood. Maybe she could find some clues by rummaging the house ? There was also his cell phone that was left in the living room.

She parked near Nick's home and hurried inside. She rushed almost instantly to his smatphone, prominently displayed on a table. She was slightly uncomfortable at the idea of browsing her friend's personal phone. She wasn't the kind of people who liked doing things behind people's back, but the situation required it. However, she had to face the obvious. "PIN code", was what she could read on the screen. She facepalmed. She could really act as a dumb bunny sometimes.

She tried several combinations like the date of his birthday. Nothing. Maybe in the other way ? Neither.

She sighed and started looking for other clues. She looked every corner of the house, beginning with his room. There were comic books, clothes and DVDs stored in his shelves. Few unimportant things. Nothing interesting. She also rummaged the living room and the kitchen. Something finally get her attention in one of the kitchen cupboards. It was full of food reserves. Nothing special so far, but there were still fresh breads, likely bought the day before. She directly thought of the bakery on the other side of the street.

She closed the closet and went back into the car. She'd generally prefer walking for short trips, but in the middle of her investigation, she was in a hurry. She parked a few meters away and walked into the bakery. The shop was occupied by an old porcupine lady.

There wasn't many people inside. The animal warmly bowed to the rabbit who greeted her back. Judy approached her and showed her the officer badge.

"My name is Judy Hopps, and I'm from the ZPD. May I ask you some questions ?"

"Sure."

"Have you seen a fox passing by yesterday morning ? "

The porcupine seemed to reflect on the question for a moment. "A fox, you said ?"

"Yes, his name is Nick Wilde. Do you know him by any chance ? "

She remained thoughtful for a moment, then a cheerful smile appeared on her face as she opened her eyes wide :

"Oh, Nick Wilde? So this his is name? Oh yes, now that you mention it, I remember him. He comes here from time to time. We never really discussed together but he seems to be a very charming fellow. "

"Yes, he is." She let out a small awkward laugh as the animal in front of her had unknowingly escaped the main question. "Do you remember having seen him yesterday ?" She asked again.

"Oh yes. I've seen him bought some bread and jam, just before noon. He even bought a carrot cake if I remember correctly. He usually never buys cake."

Judy's ears stood up in surprise. She could hear again the procupine's first sentence echoing in her head. If it was true, then it meant that Nick was really innocent. She couldn't help but jumping around, just like earlier with Bogo, she wanted to hug the porcupine, but she didn't for more obvious reasons.

"Do you keep the sales history with you in the store ?"

"I'm not very good in electronic device, but I can try to fax you a copy of the receipt."

"Thank you ma'am!" Judy could feel her heart warming. She was finally able to have a written proof of her best friend's innocence ! With the date and the exact hour of the alibi ! It was such great news !

"By the way, sweetheart. Why do you need this ? "

Judy seemed surprised she wasn't aware of the case. She briefly informed her about the robbery in the neighboring district. She seemed to be astonished by her story.

"You know, I'm an old grandma that doesn't follow the latest news that much. I hope your friend is safe and that you will both come back here, together. "

"Thank you ma'am, your help was invaluable. We'll see you again next time." She smiled at her one last time and was about to leave the bakery. She was surprised to see a familiar figure entering before she could even get out. It was Finnick. The small animal could feel Judy's eyes focused on him. He ignored her and walked toward the porcupine.

"White bread, please." He ordered.

"Sure, mister." She gave him his order, he paid and then he simply left, ignoring again the bunny who was still staring at him.

"Wait" She said as she ran out toward him.

When she was right behind him, Judy slowed down to adopt the same speed as him. The fennec still looking straight ahead.

"Oh, who's here? Isn't it miss bunny cop ? "

"What are you doing here ?"

"I live in the district, and I bought my bread, like every morning. Legally. Can you leave me alone now, officer? "

She frowned, ignoring his harsh tone.

"Not yet. Are you aware of the robbery case ? "

"Yes." He curtly answered.

"Yes ? That's all ? Don't you care about it ? "

"No." He continued to advance straight but Judy stopped there. Annoyed by the lack of contribution.

"A fox is behind this, but it's not Nick." She continued.

"I already know that. Surely the thief was aware that Nick was the only known fox from Zootopia, he must have used him as a scapegoat. A classic case." His voice get lost as he walked away from her. But his last sentence made her resume her walk. She followed him again.

"Looks like you know a lot."

"When you work dishonestly, you're well aware of all these things." A few seconds later, he continued :

"I wouldn't like to be in Nick's shooes, I wonder how he's dealing with the cops."

"He disappeared." Judy said anxiously. He stopped on the spot.

"… Oh."

Judy could see for a moment a troubled look on the fennec face. It intrigued her.

"I had a little chat with him two days ago." He confessed.

She was suddenly very attentive, troubled by what Finnick just said.

"What did you tell him ?"

"I met him by chance near the pharmacy. He was surprised to see me, and he was still wearing his officer badge on his chest. I wanted to have a lil' fun and scare him. "

Judy frowned.

"I don't understand. What did you tell him ? "

"I made him understand that he would better not looking for problems with me." Finnick then began to laugh. "You should have seen his face, it was funny. I think he took my words seriously."

Unlike him, Judy wasn't amused at all.

"It's not like we would bring you to jail anyway, even if we happened to catch you in the middle of your activities."

"I think so too. But a little teasing doesn't hurt."

Then a dark thought came to Judy's mind. She paused again, looking at the little animal who was still walking forward.

"… Hold on. Are you linked to his disappearance ? "

Finnick turned back his head to her, a serious look on his face. He then let out a small smile before laughing.

"Of course not ! Do I look that mean ? "

"Then why are you acting like he was a total stranger ?" Judy continued with a much more aggressive tone.

"Aren't you supposed to be friends ? Why are you acting as if nothing had happened ?" Finnick didn't answer her, he silently stared at the rabbit and could hear her voice becoming shaky.

"Nick might be in danger. I don't believe you when you say you don't care about him." After saying that, she could feel herself on the edge of tears. "

"Nick is... precious to me. I... I will never give up on him." She closed her eyes and couldn't help but let out a few tears. The thought of Nick returned to her memory like a shot. Finnick was still keeping his poker face, but deep inside, he could feel himself being affected by her distress, at least a little.

"To organize such pillage, there must be two guys." He finally said.

Judy slightly straightened her ears, still in tears.

"This robbery…" He repeated. "It has been necessarily organized by two partners. There is no way for this fox to get inside the building all by himself. There must be an accomplice. No, actually, this accomplice is likely the "head" behind all of this." He could see Judy looking at him, frowning.

"If I were a cop, I'd watch the video recordings of the city, you know, from the town hall. But hey, I'm not going to teach you your job."

In the moment, Judy thought she could heard a voice inside her mind telling her "Dumb bunny". It was nearly obvious ! The city's surveillance system ! How could she have forgotten ?

"Do you have your cellphone with you?" Finnick interrupted her in her thoughts.

Judy wondered why he would ask such a question.

"Hm ... yes."

The small animal got closer to her.

"I'll give you my number, call me if you ever need me again."

She recorded his number directly into her phone, then Finnick went away, leaving her alone. There was no time to waste, she immediatly began to head her next destination : the town hall.

* * *

Okay ! So, we're now exactly in the middle of the story. I was planning on writing a total of 9 or 10 chapters. (It will probably not reach far more than 25,000 words but I'm satisfied enough with it).

I noticed several inconsistencies in my story, so I corrected them.

The main one was concerning the water rescue scene, in the first chapter. Judy can swim in the movie, so I just edited this scene a bit to make it more credible. Then, there were birds quickly mentioned in one sentence of the second chapter. How could I be so careless ? I'm fully aware there are only mammals in this world (or rather let's says birds and fishes don't exist as anthropomorphic beings), but I think I just didn't pay enough attention while writing it. Sorry for these mistakes.


	6. Offscreen

Sorry for the very very late update. It's been over 3 weeks ! And that's a record (not a good one).

I intend to catch up. I'll not make my followers wait longer for the next updates (especially because there is a risk that you all forget the previous chapters, lol, just joking).

This sixth chapter is longer and, once again, i hope my english hasn't too much flaws.

* * *

Chapter 6 : Offscreen

* * *

One day earlier.

Outside, the district was calm, the sun was shining already high in the sky and promised a beautiful day. People started to go out in the street, repeating their daily activities. Among them, Nick walked holding bread and a bag of jam and cake. He had just left bakery.

He smiled. The memories of the last night with Judy returned in his memory. The car ride, the beach, the dance they had shared, their two tired bodies down on the sand. Nick could not get rid of these images in his head. It was, perhaps, one of the best night of his life since he became a cop.

The sun was gently warming his fur, he let out a long yawn. He had not slept enough. He wished he could dawdle a little and bask a little in his bed, but he wanted to make a surprise for Judy, and to take care of her the time she was recovering. He also planned to call the ZPD to inform his boss he wanted to take some time off in order to stay with her. The two friends had worked hard and consistently for a while, he thought it would be natural for Bogo to accept giving them a few days off. It would be well deserved.

He reached his house and took his key with his free hand to open the front door. Once inside, he tried to remain as discreet as possible, knowing that Judy was still upstairs sleeping on his bed. He put the food in the cupboard in the kitchen, then he emptied his pockets, getting rid of any unnecessary items that was on him, a few cents, his keys, his cell. Then he rested in the living room, sitting comfortably on the chair. He sighed and then yawned again. He glanced at his police uniform who was near the entrance. Maybe he should call Bogo right now to announce him he wouldn't work today ? He thought for a short moment. The morning had already started for a while, people were already starting to work, so technically, he was late. He thought it would be proper to have a face to face conversation with Bogo. Knowing the legendary early morning temper of his boss, a simple phone call to request time off could probably be frowned upon. He got up and put on his uniform and his badge. He stepped outside, and walked to his car. Barely inside, he heard a loud noise coming from behind him. He slightly turned his head to look at his rearview mirror, a suspicious car was heading at full speed toward him.

* * *

Judy had just entered the town hall and walked toward a receptionist otter.

"Hello ma'am, can I talk to the mayor Lionheart please?"

"I'm sorry but the mayor is very busy for the moment, he's organizing several meetings to recruit his next assistant."

"Can I still try to contact him? I am the officer Judy Hopps of the ZPD, I need his permission to access the surveillance's room. I'm in the middle of an urgent investigation."

The otter hesitated a moment but finally showed her the direction of the mayor's office.

"Upstairs, on the top left. Beware though, he's certainly in the middle of a meeting."

"Thank you Madam."

Judy climbed the imposing stairs of the town hall. Once upstairs, she took the left corridor and walked to a very large ornamented door. She could hear someone talking inside. She timidly knocked… no answer. She hadn't even been heard. She decided to come in anyway. She slowly opened the door, inside a well dressed beaver was sitting in front of the mayor. The beaver was talking about his career and past experiences, but had apparently some speech problems. Facing him, the lion didn't hide his jaded look. His elbow against the table was preventing his face to fall down. His back was bent forward and his eyes expressed a deep boredom, obviously not at all interested in the beaver's speech, which was dragging on topics that had nothing to do with administrative or political knowledge.

The beaver was talking fast, but above all, he was talking too much. Lionheart couldn't catch the slightest opportunity to interrupt him for asking the planned questions, but his eyes changed when he saw Judy in front of the door.

"Officer Judy Hopps!" He exclaimed with a surprised face. "What are you doing here ?"

She shyly cleared her throat, a little embarrassed for having entered without permission.

"Sorry to disturb you in full meeting Mr. Mayor, may I take a few seconds of your time please?"

"Sure, I can make an exception for the heroine of Zootopia." He turned back to the beaver. "Will you excuse me for this small meantime?" The little animal nodded in agreement and Lionheart looked back at Judy with a playful smile. "I hope you do not intend to arrest me this time." He joked.

Judy let out a forced laugh. "No, actually, I need to have a look on the town's videos, and I needed your permission to carry out my research. It's about the theft case in Boulevard Haussmann."

"Oh... I've heard of this." He rubbed his neck with one of his paw, visibly ill at ease. "Nasty business."

Judy guessed he was refraining himself from mentioning Nick's name before her. She tried to ignore his behavior and continued :

"Can I?"

"Oh yes, of course." He took his usual posture back and grabbed from his pocket a bunch of keys. "Follow me please, officer." They were about to leave and Lionheart turned his head toward the beaver. "I shall not be long sir, I'm just leading this lady to the surveillance room and I'll be available again." The beaver simply nodded one more time.

Judy walked in the corridor next to the lion. He remained silent until they reached the famous office. He grabbed his keys.

"I must warn you though, recently the IT manager has already taken a look at the videos and..." He looked at Judy in the eyes while he opened the door. "It turns out that most of the cameras of the targeted area have been sabotaged, At least, all the Haussman Boulevard cameras are off. "

Judy frowned. "And you hadn't shared this information with the ZPD yet?"

"Well, actually, the IT manager made me aware of this problem since this morning only, I asked him to inform the ZPD earlier this afternoon, so I think he just did it. Well, I hope."

Judy sighed, if criminals had foreseen this and were indeed responsible for the sabotage, then it would complicate the case much more, but she still needed to have a look on the videos. With some luck maybe she will find out something? That what she thought.

Lionheart was the first to enter into the room, closely followed by Judy. The lion switched on the PC. After a few seconds, he entered the codes for accessing the videos. Thereafter the screen showed the list of all cameras and their location on the map of the city.

"Done, you have now access to everything you want. I should stay to help you in your research, but unfortunately my schedule makes me very busy."

"Don't worry, I understand. Good luck with your future meetings. "

He smiled and leaned over to shake her hand. "And good luck to you for the case, miss Judy Hopps."

"Thank you." He left.

Judy began to dig in. She had never been very comfortable with computers, but she had already managed to browse data the last time she had come here with the help of Bellwether and Nick. It took her some time to recognize the features of the software, but she managed somehow to play the videos from the selected cameras.

Lionheart was right, the cameras of the entire concerned boulevard was useless. All the other cameras in the city were running, though. It couldn't be a coincidence. Judy was far from having said her last word. Boulevard Haussmann was accessible via many streets and via another nearby boulevard as well. If she wished so, she could take the time to investigate all videos from each neighboring street, but then she would have to take into account that the criminal's vehicle could easily become indistinguishable from the mass. But there was another path of research, much more obvious.

"Nick." She thought again.

She began to look after the cameras from Nick's street. There was only one single camera, and it was at the opposite spot of his house. She sighed, after all it was logical for a former con-artist to live in a home far from undesired eyes. She still took a look at the video, running back at noon. She hoped to find Nick's car. The street was quiet. She waited several minutes, watching a few unknowns cars passing their way. Then finally, a beige car furtively appeared on the screen, closely followed by another car, much more familiar, it was Nick.

Judy memorized the exact time of their passage on the screen, so she could trace them with the next cameras. It was a car chase. Both cars continued their mad race along several streets. Judy took note of all the streets where both cars were seen, they were heading North. Judy first thought they were going to Tundra Town, but no, that wasn't the case, they left Zootopia and its neighborhoods. They left all supervised territories!

"No way!" She thought, as she watched the two cars leaving the visual field of the last camera in the city.

She sighed, trying to keep her cool, then she resumed one of the videos. She wanted to note the license plate of the suspect's car. But as she was about to note it, she observed something odd. The license plate seemed to peel off, as if it was paper.

It was paper! The plate was fake. Judy groaned and knocked her head against the desk. She wasn't even able to identify the car. How things could be even worse?

Well, yes, there was something positive, she would not have to wait a whole day for Flash to identify the plate. Unfortunately, she could risk losing even more time with the case turning around.

However, an important detail in the latest videos she watched seemed fishy. She looked at them again, one by one. At first, she could clearly see Nick chasing the suspect's car. The two were driving at full speed. But in the latest videos... the two cars seemed to go more slowly.

She wasn't able to identify the figures within each vehicle, the cameras were placed so that it was impossible to see the drivers.

Nick's car was still behind the unknown vehicle, nearly always at an equal distance from it, in each video, but there was something wrong, he wasn't chasing it anymore. The driving of the two vehicles had become blameless. And she had a very bad feeling about this.

She replayed the videos again, trying to find the exact moment when the chase seemed to have ended. She could not pinpoint that exact moment with the help of the cameras, so, such behavioral change had likely occurred offscreen, between two streets, between two cameras. Judy regained all her enthusiasm in the case and took note of the two street names in which she had to continue her investigation.

She left the town hall, it was already night outside, she hadn't realized that the time would fly so quickly. The time to identify in depth all the videos had cost her several precious hours. She took her car and headed to the Fosh Street. The street was almost diametrically opposed of her current position, but the ride didn't seem long to her and she arrived fairly quickly at her new destination. Her gaze was scanning the surroundings. She recognized the position of the single camera in the street, the one that had recorded Nick chasing the criminal for the last time. She continued on her way and she actually found something very interesting. A little further ahead, on the sidewalk, there were a STOP sign, all twisted, barely standing up. Next, there was a grocery store. She found a place to park and she got out of the car. She examined the panel more closely, it had got a shock. Judy's intuition told her it was likely that either Nick or the culprit were at fault.

She regained her composure and went into the grocery store next to her.

It was a rather small and modest shop, held by a female tapir.

Judy approached the cashier and presented her card.

"Good evening madam, I'm officer Hopps of the ZPD. May I ask you some questions ?"

The tapir's eyes widened when she recognized the face of the rabbit who was standing in front of her.

"Oh you're the famous star who saved Zootopia? Of course, asks me anything. "

"Thanks," she said a little embarrassed. "You know, "star" may be a bit exaggerated, I'm a normal bunny."

"Of course not. You are my idol! My daughter would like to become a police officer thanks to you. "

"Thank you, I'm very flattered." She coughed briefly, as if her cough wanted to make her remind the main subject. She continued:

"Do you know when the stop sign in front of your store has been hit?"

"Yes, since yesterday around noon. I was told that a car crashed into it! "

Judy raised up her ears.

"You were told by someone ? You didn't see it with your own eyes ? "

The tapir shook her head. "No, I'm sorry, yesterday at noon, my colleague was replacing me, he's the one who informed me about this. He told me that a beige car did it. "

Judy stood on tiptoes to get closer to the tapir.

"Please, can you hand me the coordinates of your colleague? I would like to talk to him! "

Oddly, the tapir first seemed a little hesitant, she let out a sigh when Judy mentioned her colleague, but she finally held out a paper after writing the name and the address of the concerned person.

"His name is Robert Bellwether. He resides near there. "

Judy frowned. "Any kinship with the previous assistant mayor?"

"Yes, her father." She said quietly. "I think he doesn't share the same respect that I have for you."

Judy swallowed in anticipation. Sure, it would certainly not be a cakewalk.

"I see..." She looked away. "I hope he'll still cooperate despite what I did to his daughter." She put the paper in her pocket, thanked the tapir and was about to leave the store.

"Wait!"

Judy turned her head back toward the cashier.

"At this hour of the night, there is a good chance that you'll find him in the nearest bar of the street."

"Okay, thank you again for your cooperation."

"No problem."

She left the, and instead of going as far as his apartment, she went to the bar a few meters away.

It was a great bar, spacious and chic. Inside, there were mostly large mammals seated around large wooden table. There was a festive atmosphere, and above all, a lot of noise. Bursts of laughter on one side, a few grunts in the other. Most animals were talking loudly, but above all, most were under the effects of alcohol.

Judy was not very comfortable with this kind of places. She never frequented bars, not even once with her colleagues, or with Nick. She didn't understand the benefit of drinking for "relaxing and having fun." She was all the more uncomfortable as she felt everyone glances turned towards her and her police outfit. She was looking for a ram, trying somehow to ignore the glances on her.

"You're cute, my little bunnie." She then heard laughter from almost everywhere in the room.

She didn't know who had spoken, but she didn't want to know. A sudden anger was beginning to replace her discomfort. She clenched her fists at the mention of "cute" but tried to keep her cool. She finally saw a ram, sitting near the counter. She walked forward, still looking at the animal in front of her, then stopped in front of a bar stool, just next to the ram. She had to jump to get seated. She glanced one more time at the ram. He wasn't looking at her. It was a rather old ram with a grave expression on his face. He didn't speak, but Judy had a fine nose and could still smell alcohol emanating from him.

"Hm ... Excuse me?" Judy cleared her throat faintly, trying to caught his attention.

The ram slowly turned his head toward the rabbit, he had deep dark eyes and Judy felt a chill for a second.

As soon as he saw Judy in the eyes, he turned back his head toward his drink, still stoic and ignoring her.

"Are you Mr. Robert Bellwether by any chance?"

No answers, and Judy assumed that was a yes.

"I think you already know my name, I'm Judy Hopps, from the ZPD, it turns out that you're an important witness for my investigation, and I need your help."

The ram was silent for a few seconds, still looking at his beer. "Oh?" was all that came out of his mouth. He grabbed his drink and drank all in one gulp.

"Please." Judy replied a little annoyed. "Let me ask you some questions about what you saw yesterday at noon… Tell me everything you know about the car you've seen crashing into the stop sign."

The animal attempted a smile, and it seemed wicked. "The hero cup who put my girl in jail is willing for my help ?" He asked very coldly and Judy felt offended by his reaction.

"Sir, I can understand that you don't like me because of what happened with your daughter, but you have to know that I don't arrest people for no reason. Your daughter was encouraging the preys to turn against predators to take control of the city. "

"I don't care!" He screamed, suddenly putting the glass down on the counter. The smell of alcohol was strong. "I will always love... my daughter, no matter what."

She couldn't help but feel compassion for the ram, she tilted her head in the hope of meeting his eyes one more time.

"I understand that you're feeling messed up by these recent events mister but please let me…"

"I'm not messed up !" He shooted even more loudly, causing all the animals present in the bar to look at them.

Judy was feeling uneasy again as all the glances were back on her.

"Don't pretend you understand my feelings, I hate you little bunny, you and your predator partner." Judy noticed that the word "predator" has almost been spat out of his mouth, and it made her angry again. Did he and his daughter share the same opinion about predators ? Judy's heart felt hurt, not only because of the discrimination remark, but because he was directly referring to Nick, and something was telling her he knew something, but would not allow himself to inform her.

Around them, the other mammals remained quiet, not paying much attention to the injurious talk.

"Mr. Bellwether, I need to know what you saw yesterday noon in front of your grocery shop."

"I'm not gonna help you."

Judy frowned. "Are you really okay with this ? Not cooperating for an investigation that could endanger someone's life, is this what you want ? "She raised her voice more and more, and her voice was shaking.

"Why not? I know I have the right to not answer you in public areas. You can't do anything against that." These words made her freeze. She had rarely felt so helpless in her life. She still thought one more time about Nick for what seemed like the umpteenth time of the day. She couldn't give up, but the ram was right, she could not force him to talk.

"Now leave me alone !" He shooted.

The words echoed in her mind. She was sure now, everyone were staring at them. She clenched her fists. For a moment she would have preferred the ram to commit something illegal, then she might handcuff him and take him to the police station by force. Deep down, she knew her wish was both unreasonable and unworthy for the cop she was. She was angry, angry against the ram, but also towards herself. Then, without a word, she jumped off the stool and walked toward the door, head down. She left the bar.

It was cold outside, Judy remained motionless, her back pressed against the wall outside the bar. The street was silent, but she could hear the noisy atmosphere of the bar. She cursed herself for being so hopeless.

The cool night breeze was caressing her face, and she remembered the previous night with Nick, on the beach.

 _"Nick, where are you?"_

Her tears became wet again, but she hadn't said her last word yet. She had perhaps failed to make Mr. Bellwether talk, but she will try again! And this time, she'll not be alone.

She took the radio out of her car in hopes to call for reinforcements from the ZPD. Unfortunately, during the night, most of the officers were either back home, or in patrols. Almost no policemen answered her radio message, and when they did, it was to tell her that they were already in the middle of a mission. Judy sighed, eyes closed, then another idea crossed her mind.

This time she took her cell phone and typed a mobile number she had freshly memorized. She heard the phone ringing.

"Yes? What? "

"Finnick! Please, I need your help, it's concerning the case! "

On the other end of the phone, the little animal was silent a few seconds before responding with a voice on the verge of boredom:

"What's the matter ?"

The voice of the fennec seemed deeper through the phone call but Judy didn't pay attention to it as she continued:

"I found an important witness, but he doesn't want to cooperate. I'm right outside the bar where he is now, at the Fauss street. Do you think you can help me convincing him to talk ?"

Finnick didn't answer, and Judy was surprised by the lack of reaction.

"Hello?" Instead of answering, Finnick hung up the phone. She raised her eyebrows and dropped her ears back, feeling highly disappointed. Then she angrily gritted her teeth, lowering her head as she thought Finnick just had ignored her and left her alone. But she was wrong. A few minutes later, she saw the familiar figure of the small fennec coming out of nowhere and walking towards her.

"Finnick?"

He didn't answer and continued walking straight ahead with a quick pace. He passed next to Judy and walked directly into the bar.

"Come." He said, without meeting her eyes.

Judy followed him and found herself in the bar again.

"Where is he?" He simply asked.

Judy showed him the ram who was still near the counter, sitting on his stool. Finnick approached him.

"Hey, old man!"

The animal turned his head to see the little animal who was now staring at him. He lowered his head towards him as much as possible to look at him with a threatening look.

"What did you say? Small one? "

To Judy's surprise, Finnick firmly grabbed Bellwether's tie and forcefully pulled it to knock the animal down on the ground. The little fox walked again toward the bigger animal and pulled the tie again to force him to look into his eyes.

"The hell you think you're doing?" The ram shouted confused.

"Silence! Look at me! "

Once again, all the people present in the bar had their atention caught by what was happening. Judy gasped. How such a small animal could rule with such force and authority an animal that was maybe eight, nine or ten times his size?

"Do you know why I'm doing this?"

"Of course not. What's wrong with you? "

Finnick pulled again the tie towards him but this time to force the sheep to look at Judy who was standing motionless before them.

"You already know this bunny, huh ? You haven't answered her questions. That's not kind from you. "

Mr. Bellwether's anxiety changed into a smile. He let out a slight chuckle.

"So, because I didn't want to answer a police officer, I get hit? Lovely image of the police. "

"There is something wrong in what you say." Finnick continued to stare at him with cold eyes. "I'm not a cop, and I'm not under her orders, I act of my own will."

Mr. Bellwether smiled again. "Is this a joke? I really don't understand your motives then. You predators are impulsive and so brutal."

Finnick returned the smile, just as sarcastic. While firmly holding his tie in one paw, he used the other paw to directly strangle him on the neck, causing the ram to emit a short suffocated cry.

"Oops, sorry grandpa, I have a bad habit of letting my impulses beat the crap out of people like you."

Judy became increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. Her reason and her professionalism were telling her to intervene to calm down the situation, but deep inside, she knew that it was probably the most effective method to make him talk, and she wanted quick results!

"I'm mad for a reason. You see, because of your behavior, you may put in danger someone's life, someone who's actually missing, and his name is Nick Wilde. Do you know him ?"

The ram nodded in response, still imprisoned by Finnick's grip.

"Although I probably don't like him as much as the rabbit next to us, this dumb fox was my old partner, and I'm concerned too. So you better keep your thoughts on predators for yourself and tell to this bunny what you saw. Understood? "

The ram nodded again and Finnick released his grip. Mr. Bellwether caught his breath and stood up with difficulty.

"Let's talk outside." He said. "It will be more discreet."

Finnick looked around, seeing everyone glances on them.

"Fine. But do not try to run away. I'll catch you back anyway."

"I haven't planned to."

Once outside, Mr. Bellwether looked at Judy.

"So you want me to tell you what I saw yesterday, isn't it?"

"Yes." She said quietly, hiding her impatience.

"Before I tell you anything, I must warn you that this might displease you."

Judy frowned. "Why ?"

"Well... I actually saw your fox friend that day."

Judy's heart tightened in her chest, and the stress was beginning to invade her in anitcipation.

Mr. Bellwether took a deep breath and began to tell his story.

"There were no customers in my store. I was alone behind the counter and so I was for several dozen minutes, which was almost exceptional for an open shop in broad daylight. There was nobody in the street either. Then I heard noises outside, and in a split of second, I saw through my window a car hit the stop sign, causing its arrest. Immediately after, another car arrived and then a fox went out of it. This fox, I was sure I had already seen his face before. It was fa familiar face. "

"It was Nick?" Finnick interjected.

"Yes, I'm sure of it. I had memorized the faces and names of the two police officers who participated in the arrest of my daughter." After having said that, the ram gave a quick look at Judy to check whether she had an ounce of aggressivity against him or not, for speaking so casually about her and her partner. She didn't look at him, her eyes were looking at the ground, ears drooping. She now put a paw on her stomach and squeezed it.

"Don't stop talking." Finnick said to the ram after noticing Judy's discomfort.

Mr. Bellwether looked at him grimly. He didn't like taking orders from the small predator.

"That's what I intended to do. In fact, just before Nick get out of his car, I saw something else. In the first car that had just hit the panel, the passenger's window lowered and immediately after there was another fox who came out of the vehicle without opening the door. "

Finnick sighed. "I guess we have our villain guilty." He said sarcastically. "Did Nick challenged him?" Next to him, Judy was still quiet.

"No, actually, he didn't even see him leaving the car. Nick had stopped his car in front of them to block their way and prevent them from restarting. So when Nick got out of his own vehicle to turn around and to face the beige car, the other fox was already out and was hidding behind the car of his partner. "

"Partner ? You confirm that second fox wasn't alone ? "

"Yes, they were two, a fox and a grizzly. The grizzly was driving, and when Nick got out of his vehicle, he immediately walked toward him, ready to take his dart gun. He asked the bear to stay calm and to not try anything funny, then he asked him to exit the vehicle. The bear didn't obey and Nick pointed a dart gun before him. But... he wasn't aware the other fox was now standing right behind him."

Judy felt a huge thrill through her body and she tightened her paw on her stomach.

"The other fox was holding a baseball bat in his paw."

She closed her eyes and gulped, her heart was now beating like crazy, but the ram didn't notice it.

"And then… SBAM!" He shouted, mimicking the gestures. The effects of alcohol were taking over him. "He sharply hit him! A huge hit on his head. And then, he fell down unconscious! I can say that he didn't see it coming, I swear I saw a blood stain on the bat after that. I tell you, a big hi- "

"Shut up!" Finnick curtly said. "I dare you to say one more word."

"Wait, Finnick!" The little animal turned to face her. "It's okay. I-I'm fine. "She then looked at the ram in the eyes. "What happened next?" She asked.

"They put him in their car, then the unknown fox went to Nick's car and they left together."

Judy became silent again, but Finnick broke the silence for her.

"Have you been seen ?"

"No. Not a single gaze in my direction, and there was no witness other than me. "

Finnick turned his head again toward Judy. Despite what she might say, even though she was trying to stay strong, he could tell she was worried to death.

"Can I go now?" The ram asked to Judy.

She raised her head. "Yes... but please, don't mention Nick's name before me anymore."

The ram sighed in annoyance. "Fine..." He then left, leaving alone Judy and Finnick.

"Thank you Finnick."

"That was nothing."

Judy's desolation was quickly replaced by high spirits, her eyes were becoming sharp again.

"I have to go now." She walked straight ahead, heading her car.

"Where are you going ?"

"Searching a bear and his fox teammate, and bring back Nick!"

"I'm coming with you."

Judy turned back.

"What ?"

"You know pretty much nothing about them, you're not even sure where you have to look, let me give you my help."

Judy smiled. Did she properly heard ? Finnick, the crafty and grumpy little canine actually proposed to help her? Now they were certain that Nick had truly been kidnapped, was he willing to rescue him as much as her ?

Finnick sighed after reading her mind. "Don't get the wrong ideas, I help you 'cause I fear that you could not deal with your emotions alone and because I know this dumb Nick is able to aggravate his own situation even worse. If someone as rational as me isn't involved, then you're both done for."

Judy agreed and gave him a grateful smile. They got into the car. Judy was obviously driving, after all, it was her patrol car.

"Hey, Finnick?"

"What?"

"Do you know where bears live?"

"More or less. They usually live deep in mountain forest."

"Is there a mountainous area near Zootopia?"

"Yes, in the north. There are several villages over there."

"Then let's go."

* * *

Ok, things will go faster and faster now. I know some of you are wondering when we'll see Nick again, and this time is coming soon. But... I don't promise something cheerful.

See you... next week ? I'll try.


	7. Just for 80 000 dollars

Hello guys. Once again, I'm late (less than before, but still late). It's becoming really hard for me to find the time to write, but I will finish this story no matter what and no matter how much time I spend before updating.

BUT ! I have something else to say, I've found an editor. Thanks to him, the first chapter "Trouble in Tundra Town" has received many improvements. It is much more detailed, the scenes have much more credibility and it has no more grammar mistakes (and the WildHopps moments are better too). So I highly recommend the most curious of you to read this new version.

Otherwise, here is the new chapter. Enjoy your reading !

* * *

Chapter 07 : Just for 80 000$

* * *

About three-hour drive in the north of Zootopia, the mountainous region was very spatious and diverse. The climate varied from one place to another. From the southern hill where the sun was always shining to the high snowy peaks where the cold was freezing, also passing through the more humid wooded cliffs.

Moreover, all these areas spanned hundreds of square kilometers. The area was not named the Great Massif for nothing, and although it was known for its spaciousness, there were relatively few inhabitants. The slopes were too steep to build genuine modern cities. Moreover, Zootopia was a city so important and developed that it attracted almost all the animals from the surroundings areas, preventing other potential cities to emerge. It required courage to live in the heart of the Great Massif. There were no grocery stores, no hospitals, no schools and no offices. Anybody needed to be a hermit to live in such a remote place, but it was worth it! The landscapes were beautiful in every season! It echoed the calm and serenity which were mostly guaranteed.

But that day, there was one person who was feeling worried.

Somewhere in the medium-altitude mountains, there was a charming wooden house. It was well established, near a river and with the start of the forest in the background. This solitary house was a little above a small village in a valley. The scenery was beautiful. It was spring, the snow began to melt in the valley and left room for budding flowers, but the high mountains were still covered with a thick white coat. A loving place.

But inside that house which looked so peaceful, so perfect, there was a secret. Deep inside, in a dark cellar, there was an unconscious fox. He had his paws tied against a large wooden pillar. Nick was sequestered.

He wasn't alone. A big bear was pacing around the room, visibly upset. There was also a third person in this moment, "the other fox."

He was sitting on a barrel, playing with a yo-yo, while the largest mammal was going around and around in circles.

"It's impossible!"shouted the bear. "Since when is he unconscious?"

"Easily more than thirty hours. Maybe thirty-five now. "

The bear quickly glanced at Nick.

"Damn it ! It was not supposed to happen." He turned his head again toward his partner. "It was not supposed to happen!" He repeated with accusation in his voice.

The fox laughed, which made the bear even more upset.

"What are you laughing at ?"

"Nothing. I think it's just funny that, of all the police officers who could have pursued us, it had to be our scapegoat." He said playfully, still playing with his toy.

"We should not have been followed! Especially by him! "

"Hey, hey, you shouldn't have driven at full speed in front of his house. "

"Are you implying it's all my fault? How could I know that he lived in this neighborhood? What about you? You hit him in a public place. "

"Nobody saw me doing it."

The bear growled and looked at Nick again.

"What we gonna do with him? If the cops ever find him... "He didn't finish his sentence, instead, he gave a powerful punch on the wall. "I will not go back to jail! Not again!"

"Relax Teddy, I read the newspapers. Although the plan was a bit… improvised half-way, people still believe Nick is responsible for the theft, while we have the booty."

"Do not call me Teddy!" He yelled again while shattering to pieces a barrel with his powerful paw. "Do you want to suffer the same fate as this fox next to us?"

The fox gave him a sly smile. "I just try to calm you. No one saw us. The ZPD will not discover us that soon. "

The bear started again to pace around the room, while his partner remained silent for a moment.

"Maybe, but one day or another, the ZPD will find suspicious the loss of their colleague."

"For the moment everybody think he fled because of his crime. Things go well for us. "

"We can't deny this risk. Moreover, he'll eventually wake up. We can't leave him here forever, it would be too dangerous."

The fox smiled again.

"True thing. What do you suggest ? "

"We must get rid of him."

The fox continued the back and forth movement of the yo-yo, rhythmically swinging his wrist up and down. He never met his partner eyes.

"Oh ? You'd be willing to go so far to protect 80,000 dollars? "

"Don't tell me that, you know we have no choice."

The fox finally raised his head and looked at his partner with a dark gaze.

"You'd be willing to go back to prison?"

"No, I will not kill him. You, you will. "He said quietly.

The now surprised fox became motionless for a moment, then he smiled again.

"You want me to dirty my hands instead of you so you can use me as a bait if the cops happen to come here? That's so meeean from you, Teddy !"

"My name is NOT Teddy!" He shouted again, leaning toward his partner. "Give me a reason to not tear this damn tongue of yours. You don't even need it to communicate."

The smile of the fox became even more sly.

"Hm... 'Cause you need me?"

"… That's right." The bear sat up. "And I'm counting on you to carry out my orders. You have no choice, Dan." He said with an authoritative tone.

The fox chuckled silently. "I love you too, big boy."

The bear growled. "Enough joking. I want him dead, now! Proceed as you please." He was about to leave but his partner called him out.

"Wait! Can I ask you a request?"

"How dare you ask me a request? What is it?"

The large mammal turned back to him, and he was surprised to see all the seriousness in the eyes of his partner.

"Let me have a conversation with him, at least once."

The bear hesitated a moment. He gave a quick glance towards Nick, then looked again at his teammate.

"Fine, I will wait until he wakes up, if it doesn't take too long. But once your chit-chat is over, promise me to kill him without waiting any longer." He turned around and walked to the stairs, leading the ground floor. "You stay here to keep an eye on him. And please, never call me by ridiculous nicknames again."

The fox stood straight and did a military hand salute that he intentionally exaggerated.

"Yes, Boss! As you wish, Boss!"

The bear sighed and left the cellar.

* * *

Far away, Judy was still driving, accompanied by a small fennec.

"Ouch !"

"What's wrong bunny cop ?"

In the car, Judy had her teeth clenched and a paw was pressing her stomach.

"Nothing. It's just that my fever hasn't passed yet, and I feel I have aches all over my body." She coughed.

"Do you want me to drive?"

"No, I'm fine."

It's been a long time since the two little animals had started their journey. They had just crossed the border of the Great Massif. It was still night, and only the bends in the road indicated them they were truly in a mountainous areas.

Judy and Finnick remain silent for most of the journey and there weren't many people on the road. The silence was occasionally interrupted by a coughing Judy. Somehow, Judy enjoyed the silence. It wasn't distressing, but quite refreshing. It helped her to forget her fears, at least for a moment and for a moment only, because now, Nick was back in her mind.

"I hope he's fine."

Finnick didn't say anything until they approached the entrance of the first village they encountered.

"We should stop here." He said.

They parked near the town hall and went there to ask the list of the villagers. Overnight, most city halls remained open, occupied by nocturnal animals. Unfortunately, they learned that there were no bears nor any fox that lived here. They get back into the car, and Judy let out a long yawn.

"Let's go to the next village." She said.

"No, we should sleep. You're too tired to drive. I don't want to die now."

Judy sighed. "And what about Nick ?"

"He will wait. How could you rescue him if you barely stand up? We will be much more effective tomorrow morning."

Deep down, she knew he was right, but she was too worried to sleep. Finnick comfortably lay down on the passenger seat. He then closed his eyes, ready to sleep.

Judy instead pulled the radio of her patrol car and contacted the ZPD for the second time of the night.

"Judy Hopps to base, I am now in the village of Samoens in the south of the Great Massif, please, transmit the following message to the chief : I'm currently looking for the missing officer Nicholas Wilde and the two main suspects of the robbery that occured in the boulevard Haussmann. I'd need some backup."

She waited a few seconds before finally getting a response.

"I copy that officer Hopps. But Bogo he's probably sleeping now, and it will take some time before the backup reach your position."

"I know, but I stay in the village for the rest of the night and there are enough nearby villages here to allow me to remain close by while continuing my investigation."

"Fine. We will keep you informed tomorrow." The radio emitted.

She put down her radio in its holster. She leaned her head back against her seat and let out another sigh. Then nothing, silence returned. She looked at the stars through her window. It was the same stars as the ones she had seen on the beach. The lack of pollution and the altitude made them seem brighter. While she was staring at the stars, she reached as high as she could her arm. She could barely touch the top of the glass. The stars were so... elusive. She smiled stupidly. "It's not about how badly you want something, it's about what you are capable of!" Bogo's words came back in her mind. She remained pensive for several minutes. She never closed her eyes meanwhile, she just couldn't sleep. She doubted, and she was afraid, as if her fever alone wasn't enough! She laid her head against the glass, her eyes still staring the sky. Occasionally, she coughed… again.

"Are you thinking about Nick?" Finnick's deep voice startled Judy and she quickly turned her head. He was still lying on the seat. His eyes were closed but he wasn't sleeping yet.

"Yes." She felt a little embarrassed. "Is it so obvious?"

"Well... yes, it seems obvious." He continued with a mocking tone: "Since a while ago all I can hear from your whispers are Nick, Nick, Nick, Nick, Nick, Nick. Where are you ? And Nick, Nick, Nick, Nick."

She blushed a little and turned her face to the glass.

"I just hope he's okay."

"Oh, and that too."

Judy was almost pouting before the window, and Finnick could feel her annoyance.

"I'm sure he's fine. I mean... he knows how to defend himself, isn't it? You learnt how to fight in the police academy, right? "

She looked at him again. "That's true. We still do some trainings at least once a week in the precint."

"Is Nick doing well in self-defense?"

"Mh... Yes, he's quite good. Even if he doesn't always take the training seriously at times. "

"This is the dumb fox I know."

Speaking about Nick reassured her a little. She even smiled as the memories of her friend in the exercise room came back to her.

* * *

This exercise room, it was located in the basement of the precint. Nick and Judy were practicing shooting. At fifteen meters of the target, Judy pulled the trigger of her dart gun and the projectile went straight toward the target before piercing it on its center.

"Yes!" She exclaimed. "I'm the best shooter of all the ZPD! Wu Hou! "She jumped up.

"Don't get carried away, Carrots. My turn now." He went beside Judy and pointed his gun toward the second target. He had his casual sly smile on his face. "Let me show you who's the boss here. Learn from me, sweetheart." He pressed the trigger. The dart went right ahead and reached the target! But not in its center. Nick's smile turned into a grimace and Judy had to make an effort not to burst out laughing.

"Nice try Nick, but I'm still the real boss here."

Nick sighed but then gave a smile to Judy.

"Okay, okay. I admit, you're strong Carrots, definitely worthy to be my partner."

Judy smiled playfully in response.

"I always hit the exact spot I want to target, sometimes without even looking."

Nick' eyes widened. "Does that mean you targeted my butt on purpose that day?"

"Hm... No. It was funny, though. "

"Funny? It hurts! And I slept for hours! You can't even realize."

Behind the two partners, Clawhauser appeared and caught them both in his arms.

"Heeeeey guys! How are you two doing? "

Judy smiled. "Fine, thank you. Seems like you're doing well too."

Nick couldn't speak, as his muzzle was pressed against the cheetah's waist. He gesticulated a little and the largest mammal quicky loosened his grip.

"So..." She continued. "Are you practicing on your shooting too?"

He looked away and rubbed his neck. "Hm, no. I've already trained this morning before my service and I must say I'm really too bad at this."

"Come on Benjamin." Judy said. "You're not as bad as you think."

The cheetah smiled shyly. "Thank you, but it's not a coincidence that I am assigned to the receipt, after all."

"Oh, come on Sweetie." Nick called him by the new nickname he recently found for his colleague a few days ago. "Don't sell yourself short. Do you want to work your muscles with us ?"

Judy approved Nick's proposal. She liked it when he let out his sneaky attitude aside to support his friends. It was one of the points that she loved about him : his generosity.

Clawhauser smiled again, more cheerfully this time.

"Yes, I will. I need to burn some calories." He tapped his belly.

The three officers walked a few steps to reach the weight machines.

There were enough machines to exercise each muscle, and for a whole regiment. Some devices were recently ordered for recent recruits with smaller size, especially for Judy, who was delighted that finally the precint took her size into consideration.

She, Nick and Clawhauser did some warm-up. Then they all got on a treadmill. They weren't alone in the room, in fact, there were almost all the officers. It was early evening and all the animals who were working daytime ended their service with one full hour of exercise.

Everyone was occupying a different exercise device. In their corner, the three mammals chosed their own settings, all opting for different speed. In ascending order, Clawhauser was running at low speed, Nick at reasonable speed, and then of course, Judy chose the fastest speed.

Thus, they were running for a moment and at the end of the tenth minute, Clawhauser was starting to show signs of strain. He gasped increasingly stronger while Nick and Judy kept a stable breathing. His race was becoming softer and after a few extra seconds he became almost breathless.

"I-I can't... keep running ... I want to ... stop."

"Hey, Sweetie, don't give up yet. I'm sure you can still run a bit longer." Nick said to him, and just after, it was his turn to start gasping a bit.

"I-I... I will try." The cheetah forced himself to continue his race after having decreased the speed of his treadmill.

Judy happily smiled at Clawhauser who was trying his maximum, and it made her even more spirited.

"Come on guys ! One leg after the other, keep the pace! One ! Two! One ! Two! "

It had been twenty minutes, and surprisingly, Clawhauser was still running. Nick looked stupefied at his bunny friend who was still maintaining her speed, without even changing the pace of her breath. He said nothing and continued his race, he was panting louder and hesitated to slow down, but his ego prevented him to stop! Not before Judy, and above all not before Clawhauser.

A few minutes later, both the fox and the cheetah had their eyes closed and protested while forcing their legs to run. And because Nick didn't see anyone give up before him, he decided to complain instead.

"W-W... Why ? Why are we doing this ?"

"Well, one hour of full training, Bogo's instruction!"

"D-Damn… Th… The Chief… will cause our death."

Judy was the first to stop, after thirty minutes of running. She had kept throughout the race her good mood and her energy didn't seem to decrease. No, actually, she seemed even more energetic than before as she made some jumps on the ground.

She was quickly followed by Clawhauser.

"Ah! I… can't take it… anymore! "

He stopped and painfully laid his body down on the floor, panting loudly.

Nick stopped too but he was still standing, or rather he was trying to keep standing. His head tilted down toward the ground and he was gasping as loudly as his predator friend, leaving his long canine tongue fall down. Judy looked silently at her two colleagues who were trying to catch their breath, but then she saw Nick raising his head to meet her eyes.

"So... Carrots? What was that ? You stopped after thirty minutes... while I ... I held longer !" He was clearly barely standing and was gasping in a very ridiculous way. "At least twenty more seconds !" Judy said nothing and just wondered what was going on inside his brain. Nick then sat and took another deep breath, leaning his head backward.

"Well, thirty minutes is a normal time, Nick." She finally said. "You should have lowered the speed though." She then turned to Clawhauser. "But I am very glad you have finished your session Benjamin, you were great!"

"Th-Thank you." He lifted his upper body to sit. Meanwhile, Judy walked beneath a traction bar.

"Time to train the upper body now." She jumped to reach it, then began a series of sit-ups with her leg suspended at the bar.

"How can she find the strength to continue?" Clawhauser said almost shocked.

"Don't pay attention to her, she's not like us, she's not normal."

The two grinned at each other and Clawhauser then began to do some stretching, all alone though, because Nick prefered to rest on the ground.

"Seriously, I'm all torn up." He rested for a while, and finally Judy joined them after having finished her extra exercises.

"Hey, Nick, you should do your stretching too."

The fox grumbled a bit and finally sat. He imitated Clawhauser as he spread his legs and stretched his arm to reach his foot, first the left one, then the right one.

"By the way, where is Bogo?" Asked Judy. "Usually he also joins us with the rest of the officers."

"Listening to music Gazelle?" Nick said sarcastically.

"I think he's doing some cleaning upstairs." The cheetah answered, between two deep breaths.

"He's doing cleaning? You mean it seriously? " Nick replied.

"Yea, he's very concerned about the image of the precint. For him "cleanliness is as much important than order and discipline."

"I didn't expect that."

"Nick?" The fox turned his head toward Judy who had just called him.

"Yes Carrots?"

"I need your help again."

"No problem sweetheart."

Nick sat in front of her. Judy spread her legs and Nick pressed his feet against her knees and grabbed her paws. Nick leaned backward by putting pressure on Judy to make her bend forward, forcing the stretching in her legs. He drew back until Judy sent the signal.

"Stop."

He then held the position for several seconds.

"Oh ! You two do your stretching together now? "The cheetah had a huge smile on his face.

"I heard a rabbit once who told me she had troubles limiting herself to solo stretching because of her being too much flexible."

"Shush!"

"But it's the truth." He said amused. He slowly took back his original position for relaxing Judy's muscles.

"Aw my goodness! You look so cute together, I totally support this."

Judy was a bit embarrassed by the comment but Nick seemed rather amused.

Then a polar bear passed right beside them.

"And you didn't even see all the stretches they've been accustomed to, Clawhauser." He went on his way without stopping by and Judy started to blush.

"Oh really? So I should come more often to see that."

Nick's smile faded and he let himself fall back again.

"I'm really exhausted." He growled.

Clawhauser looked a little worried about his fox friend. "What mission have you been assigned to today?"

"We chased a koala for almost an hour for violating speed limits." Judy replied.

"Yes, and Carrots's driving was even more dangerous."

Judy punched his waist and caused him to yelp.

"One full hour of car chasing? It must have been dangerous."

"Indeed. I was afraid for my life." Nick said with an exhausted tone. He sighed and began to complain again. "I still wonder why Bogo takes so seriously our training sessions, as if we haven't enough problems during work."

"Don't say nonsense, Nick." Judy replied calmly. "He just wants we keep ourself healthy, that's all."

"I don't call that... keeping ourself healthy. The chief is giving us more and more tough missions since the Nighthowler case. It's raining missions, over and over."

"This is the proof that he now trust us." She said, resuming her stretching... her solo stretching this time. "And I think this is his way of thanking us."

Nick frowned. "Thanking us ? By yelling at us constantly? "

In the room, some animals turned their face toward them to listen more carefully the conversation about their superior.

"It's true he's sometimes harsh. But I think he actually cares a lot for all of us... a bit like a father."

Nick couldn't help but laugh at the end of her last sentence.

"A father ? Bogo? Carrot juice must have damaged your head Cottontail. It's like imagining wearing a tutu."

"I'm not kidding Nick. I sincerely think he cares for us much more than you think."

Nick seemed doubtfull and winced at her.

"He maybe care about us but, to think of him as a father… there are limits. I mean, there are tons of things to say about his leadership."

Meanwhile, Bogo appeared in the training room as he was walking down the stairs. Everyone became silent in the room except Nick, who had his back turned to the stairs and haven't noticed his presence yet.

"First, he keeps yelling at us while assigning us a lot of work. But on his side, he doesn't do anything! He merely sit before his desk, reading the paperwork time to time or listen to Gazelle's music in secret."

Clawhauser and Judy's eyes widened, Bogo was now right behind Nick. No one dared to tell him though.

"You think he like cleaning? No, actually he's so bored that he doesn't know what else to do. And besides, I find it funny for a buffalo whose mouth smells so bad to be actually concerned about cleaning."

The buffalo loudly cleared his throat, and Nick immediately turned tense as he recognized the familiar sound.

"Officer Wilde?" Nick turned around very slowly to make eye contact with Bogo. The police chief had a smile on his face, and it signaled nothing good. Everyone knew this smile was the kind of smile that presaged the calm before the storm and everyone felt uncomfortable.

"Looks like I found a volunteer to do the cleaning." He said very quietly while keeping the same smile. "Just when I was thinking I didn't want to clean the public toilets. You wouldn't mind scrubbing the toilets, Officer Wilde, would you? "

Nick swallowed his own saliva and tried to find his words to soften the situation.

"Hm... Chief... You know... You know I don't really mean what I said, right? It was a joke."

"Cleaning chores for three months! In the whole precint!" He yelled. His eyes became threatening and his tone startled everyone in the room.

"Follow me, you start with my office."

Bogo turned around walking toward the stairs and Nick followed him, hesitantly.

In the room, McHorn smiled when the two were leaving. "Enjoy your alone time with daddy." And then everybody started to laugh in the room, except for Judy and Clawhauser.

* * *

In the car, Judy's smile turned into a sneer. Yes, Nick could be really dumb sometimes.

She remained still lost in thought. The memories of the time spent in the precint brought her solace.

"Hey!"

Once again a deep voice brought her back into reality. She turned her head to look at the smaller animal.

"Do you have feelings for Nick?"

She instantly blushed.

"Why this question?" She looked away. She wasn't expecting that. Although she knew that several people around her saw their relationship ambiguously (especially Clawhauser), she didn't expect the question to be so direct! And she didn't expect Finnick to be the one to ask.

"Nick is... my most precious friend, but that's all."

Finnick didn't answer right away. He was still lying on the seat, and didn't move.

"A friend, huh?"

Judy looked at him again, with a bit of annoyance in her eyes.

"Why do you feel concerned?"

"Yes, it's true, it's not my business. Sorry." He said stoically.

There was a brief silence, then Judy said:

"I mean... I'm a bunny, and he's a fox. We cannot..." She could not finish her sentence. "It's not..." She sighed and looked down. She felt wrong. What was she thinking? She didn't know herself, but something inside her told her that what she was about to say was not appropriate for her convictions and beliefs.

"Yea, you're right, it would be gross."

Judy frowned and looked surprised. What was that? She didn't speak, though, she was too much surprised by the enormity of his words.

"I'm not the only one, there are many mammals that find interspecies relationship gross. Especially between prey and predators."

Judy became increasingly uncomfortable, and upset, too.

"Wh-What are you saying?"

"Ah! So you do love him." He said with a grin. "I thought I'd say what you were about to say."

Judy was more and more confused.

"Sorry Finnick but, what's wrong with you? Saying all of this to me... all of a sudden. "

"And what's wrong with you?" He replied calmly.

"I thought you were that famous bunny cop who preached tolerance, the acceptance of differences, the community-life between prey and predators, and now, you were about to say you could not love someone because of his... differences?"

"I-I love him! But I don't mean it as... I don't know if…"

"You don't know what ?"

Judy didn't know what to say. She was perplexed and started to reflect on her feelings, her real feelings, but she couldn't clearly identify them. She didn't know what to think.

Beside her, Finnick spoke again.

"Okay, actually, it's still a bit of my business. Nick was once my former partner and he let me down once he became a cop. He became a cop for you ! That's why I can say that he care a lot for you, perhaps more than you think."

Judy could understand Finnick's frustration over Nick. But there was actually a point she found unclear.

"Are you... jealous over me ?" She felt the question being a bit awkward, and she feared a bit his reaction. Finnick was indeed surprised. He looked at her, quietly, before grinning.

"Me… Jealous ?" He laughed a bit, but then recovered his seriousness. "Well… In fact, maybe a little." He then remained silent for an instant, but was still grinning a bit. Judy was all the more surprised by his reply.

"Finnick, despite what you may believe, I don't think Nick left you behind. Even if he's now a cop, even if he joined the "other side" as you say, it doesn't matter. You two are still friends. I think he care about you too."

Finnick growled a bit. "I'm not looking for your pity, bunny cop. I hate this."

He was silent for a few seconds and then continued:

"Actually, I don't care whether you love him in a friendship or in a romantic way, and it is true that I'm rather intolerant about interspecies relationship. But I want to be sure he hasn't decided to be with you for a simple state of mind. Because otherwise, I'd really feel betrayed. So that's all I can wish for an old friend."

Judy was very attentive to Finnick's word, as she knew Finnick being very sincere and surprinsingly thoughtful. She really thought she could understand how he was feeling.

"You should not let public opinion deflect your feelings. You should not care about everyone's opinion, nor mine."

Judy looked again at the starry sky, still listening to him, though.

"You should rest now, little bunny." He yawned. "And same for me." He closed his eyes, but Judy continued to think about Nick for a bit longer. But before knowing whether her feelings existed or not, she had to first save Nick. For now, that was the first priority! And she had to be fully healthy to achieve this goal.

She forced herself to close her eyes, and though she had trouble falling asleep, she finally ended to enter into the world of dreams.

Far from there, in the medium-altitude mountains, in a charming house, there were two foxes. Very slowly, Nick was waking up after forty hours of unconsciousness.

The "other fox", Dan, still sitting on a barrel, carefully watched his long awakening.

"Hi, there." He said with a sly smile. "Nice to meet you."

* * *

Before I go, I realized I never thanked my readers before for reading this fanfic, and it's quite a shame.

Thank you. It's a pleasure to read your appreciation on the story for each chapter.

See you for the next chapter which risk to be long, 'cause there will be lots of contents (can't tell more right now).


	8. The masks we wear

**I feel EXTREMELY sorry and embarrassed for the awful waiting.**  
 **The studies were more intensive than expected during the last two months and I have not found the time to resume my writing.**  
 **I was still passing by, sometimes, maybe once a week, to eventually check the updates of other Zootopia fanfics, but I've temporarily give up on my own fic, in order to devote myself to my final project before graduating : a 3D animated short film !**

 **I'm sorry again for leaving you into silence, but now that I'm on holydays, I intend to continue this story and give it a proper ending (we're already close of it).**

 **And in case you guys wonder how long it will take before the next updates, let me tell you the ninth chapter has already been written (in my native language, though, so it'll take some extra time for the translation). You'll get it in less than a week.**

 **Now, back to the story, I hope you'll like this chapter. And for those who may have forgotten the recent events of the story (which is normal) here's a short summary:**

 **Judy has found a new clue concerning the identity of the two criminals that had kidnapped Nick : a red fox and a grizzly, living in the Great Massif, a mountainous region miles away from Zootopia. Judy's already on site, with her provisional partner, Finnick, who helps her on this case.**

 **It's night, Judy and Finnick had just fallen asleep after Judy had called for backups, that will only come tomorrow morning.**

 **Meanwhile, Nick is held captive in a basement. He had been unconscious for two days because of the powerful blow he got on the head. The bear asked his sidekick to kill Nick, only for the fox to ask him a favor : he would kill him only after his awakening, since he wants to speak with him first. But this moment happens faster than expected, because now, Nick is finally waking up.**

* * *

Chapter 08 : The masks we wear

* * *

Nick opened his eyes, as he returned very slowly to his senses. His head… felt heavy. His eyesight was blurred, and he didn't recognize the odd place around him. He noticed that he had been fast asleep in a sitting position. But… Wait. Did he truly felt asleep ? He had no memory of it, nor what had happened the day before. All he knew at the moment was that he was thirsty, extremely thirsty ! His throat was dry and felt extremely tight, to the point he was physically suffering because of it. His breathing was shallow, and each inhalation was painful. Just how long since the last time he had been drinking ? He emitted a slight growl before his eyes could discern the room around him… but also the fox before him.

Said fox was sitting on a wooden barrel, facing him. First, Nick thought he was a stranger. Then, he doubted, and he thought he was looking at himself in a mirror. But no, this fox, whose apparence was shockingly similar to his own, was smiling at him. It couldn't be his reflection on a mirror, because he highly doubted he would smile in a time like this, as he was not far from agony. Or maybe he was doing it despite him, smiling foolishly before death. He had to convince himself once again there was no mirror, in this dark, moist basement he found himself in. Items were dispersed everywhere. Mostly alcohol with bottles of wine stored in old wooden shelves, and barills on the creaky floor, among other things. There was a persistent smell, the smell of the old wood, everything around him was made of wood. He tried to move, but then realized he was tied to a large pillar, preventing him to stand up. He didn't take long to understand that he had put himself in trouble… again.

"Where I am ?" He asked calmly to the mysterious, yet handsome fox (after all, they looked alike, and Nick considered himself as handsome).

His interlocutor took several seconds before answering, which didn't reassured the police officer who tried to hide as best as he could his apparent anxiety.

"I'm not even sure myself." Was all what he said.

"Who are you ?"

He doubted he would get any information in this regard, but apparently, he was wrong, because the fox before him answered quicker this time.

"I'm Dan. Nice to meet you. I'm a fox."

 _Thank you captain obvious._ Nick thought. His cynicism was waking up as well along with the rest of his consciousness, which was perhaps a good sign for his health, despite the current fragility of his body. Is this fox was expecting for him to give his own name in return ? Just because he gave his ? No. Nick would not give his name, he he had enough trouble with just breathing normally. Plus, he didn't exclude the possibility that his interlocutor already knew who he was… which was actually likely possible.

As he got lost in thought, the cop suddendly winced as his body, now fully awake, made him notice another pain coming from the top of his skull. Unfortunately, he couldn't move his wrists and couldn't check the severity of his injury.

"I hit you on the head, remember ?"

Nick pondered a moment as he was finally collecting his memories from the other day.

"I see… I've been reckless."

"Yea. It's strange, I could have sworn cops from the ZPD usually work in pairs."

"In normal circumstances, yes."

For Nick, mentioning Judy's existence was out of the question. If he was intended to be in big trouble, he would deal with it all alone. So the cop inside him immediately resurfaced as he decided to quickly change the topic. "Where is the jewelry?"

"She must be worried, your partner."

Nick cringed. This little game wouldn't work. The only one who ruled the situation was him, his unknown opponent, while Nick… was seated on the dirty parquet, completely unable to move. Given the circumstances, he considered the best solution was to stop pretending. But more importantly, did he say- "She ?" He was no longer able to hide the confusion on his face, and quickly, a mixture of anger and fear emerged, as his overprotective instinct was coming back. He had to make sure no one would ever touch Judy. His Judy ! And at the moment, he couldn't care less about his possessive side. Yes, on this very moment, in the middle of his distress, and in the discomfort of the unclear situation he found himself in, he didn't care how he would call her. She was his Carrots, HIS bunny, maybe even his female, if he wanted to go this far, and he was not ahsamed to admit he liked the thought.

"How much do you know about my partner ?"

"Oh, not much, really. Just little things like her name, species and profession… You two are celebrities, you see ? And I know you too, Wilde."

Dan approached him and crouched down to be at eye level, wearing a sly smile Nick thought was the only one to master. The cop fox didn't reply, much to his surprise, he remained silent as the mysterious fox before him grabbed a piece of coton out of his pocket. Not far from them, there was a bottle of liquor he grabbed with his free paw. He dipped the cotton with it and then delicately moved his arm at the top of Nick's head, carefully tapping the bleeding skull with the cotton. The cop tried his best to not yelp because of the sudden painful contact, while Dan continued to treat the sensitive spot, now smiling from ear to ear.

"Damn I really hit you hard !"

Nick wasn't able to read through the opposite person, and as a full cop, half detective fox, it was extremely irritative. At the moment, he had only one presumption : he was playing with his nerves (both literally and figuratively) and the fact they looked so alike was no help. In fact, it was precisely the main disruptive point ! They looked alike ! Same height, same body shape, same fur ! Well, not exactly. There were some differences in all these aspects but there were barely identifiable for any common mammal. Nick noticed another oddness… his smile. The rookie cop was in a good position to know what smiles can usually hide. A sly smile is a mask, a well-known self-defense art for a fox and… because the mammal next to him was a fox too, he assumed he had certainly experienced the troubles that go with it.

It was a very simple deduction, but, for an unknown reason, this sly smile was nothing like what he had seen before. Or maybe it was his eyes... emerald eyes, just like him (and yet so different). It was maybe the coldest look he had ever seen, although he had already met a incredible batch of criminals in his life. These emerald eyes were somehow too much disturbing for an "average" little criminal (because yes, Nick assumed this criminal was a average one, since stealing a little less than 100 000 dollars was serious, but not as much serious as a worldwide conspiracy involving murders).

But even though he was trapped and at the mercy of the said criminal, he was feeling just fine. He wasn't scared anymore, and despite the odd gaze of this fox, he saw no hint of aggressiveness in him. But he knew he should not underestimate the situation and he had a bad feeling about what could happen next. And for this reason, he asked him one question, in a very peaceful way.

"What will you do to me ?"

"I'll kill you."

The answer has been so nonchalent and quick it made Nick smile. Good. He was dealing with a weirdo, and said weirdo was still healing the injured skull, pratically caressing the fur over it with some new piece of cotton, it made sense. Yup. Totally.

The quick cynicism was not enough to soften the body aches, nor the sudden anxiety than came with the words that Dan had just pronounced. If he was feeling 'just fine' a moment ago, it had been already forgotten, in a matter of seconds. His tight, painful throat made him remind his needy situation. He couldn't carry on the 'interrogation' for too long now, since each speaking required him saliva, which was becoming more and more rare. Even his mild voice was affected by the drought of his body.

He needed water, now !

And…

He also needed to pee !

Now that all the mechanics of his body was working again. He hadn't yet find the opportunity to empty his bladder, and since he was unable to move, maybe he would have no other choice but wetting himself. Who cares about what this 'Dan' would think ? He said he would die anyway.

But since Dan was facing him, the said fox hadn't been unware of the shaking of Nick's legs.

Without saying a word, he stood up, went to a broom closet, opened its door, and he pulled there a metal bucket. He then threw it in Nick's direction and it landed near Nick's feet, causing a bref metalic sound once the bucket met the floor. Dan rejoined Nick and, much to his surprise, he untied one of his paw and even loosened the rest of the string a little. It wasn't much, but it lessened the pain on his wrist a lot. Immediately, Nick struggled. Maybe he could attempt to escape ? But Dan had anticipated this reaction, since he quickly grabbed Nick's free wrist and twisted it, causing another painful yelp.

"Behave, or else I break it."

Nick calmed down and Dan released his grip, although he still stood close to him, in case he would try to struggle again. Nick noticed he was now able to stand up, and that's what he did, slowly, staring at the fox before him to make sure he was okay with it. Then after a moment, Dan invited Nick to look at the bucket, with a simple glance.

Understanding the situation, Nick gave Dan a dubious look, only to find out that Dan was really serious and his smile had motemporarily disappeared.

"No manners between us Wilde. We all have the same."

Nick carefully slid down the pillar to pick and redress the container, while still looking at the fox. He then unbottuned his pants and started his business, without feeling even an ounce of disgrace to do it in front of a total stranger.

Once he was done, Dan was quick to tighten the string just like it was a moment ago, after having made Nick sat down. He then put the bucket aside. However, Nick remarked this fox had willingly left his right paw completely free. He was even more surprised when, almost instantly after, Dan handed him a bottle of water.

It was a very kind gesture, although Nick could not help thinking that this excess of generosity was somehow doubtful. But he would wonder about the sincerity of his action another time. He rushed his arm to the bottle and quickly took some gulps. The water was fresh ! Delicious ! He had never guessed that he would enjoy some mere water this much before, but on this point, it was a priceless luxury. After all, he had not been drinking for two whole days. Most mammals would likely die after three or four days without any water.

It was not long before the bottle wad empty and the cop looked back at this other fox, the look on his face was asking for another bottle and Dan laughed seeing his needy expression. A sincere and friendly laugh, actually.

He handed him another bottle.

Nick drank this time half of the bottle, and decided to keep the rest for later (if later existed). Now that he was feeling better, his curiosity reached a peak, and Nick thought he would end up insane if he didn't gather any more information about his supposed aggressor. So, he tried another attempt to interrogate him :

"Is this what you want? Killing a police officer? "

"Hm... no. I wish I don't need to, but it's not like I can stop midway. I hold you captive and you saw my face, after all."

"You don't need to." He said matter of factly. "Killing a cop on duty is about one hundred times sillier than stealing jewelry. You and your partner will rot in prison for the rest of your life."

Dan chuckled.

"Don't worry, I'll disappear far from here with the money immediately after getting rid of you."

"You could have disappeared before I woke up, leaving me rotting here all alone."

"My partner doesn't want to leave this place, this is his home and he has no other place to go. He's nothing like me." He stood up and moved a few step away from Nick. "I'm a nobody with no house. I can go where I want whenever I want, no one will notice my disappearance."

"Poor thing, it seems bad being you."

Nick knew too well he needed to be extremely careful while tauting his interlocutor, it was a risky move, but it was still a technique like any other one, more or less effective, to apprehend someone's profile.

Dan's reply was a laugh. It wasn't really threatening, it was rather a warmhearted laugh, just like the previous one.

"Such a sly fox even when in distress? I like it, really. But… "

He got closer to the sequestered fox again, leaned close to him and this time, placed his paws on his knees, staring straight into his eyes, emarald's to emerald's.

"... I think you're not as sly as me."

Nick wished to look away but he felt trapped because of whatever odd reason by the penetratring, almost hypnotic, gaze. Dan's mischevious smile was the same as always and Nick became speechless because of their striking resemblance. They stared and never blinked. And just like that, a huge stress invaded his body, starting from his already wrenching gut. He had a very bad feeling about all of this, and a part of him already made assumptions he had never thought he would ever bring in his life. Finally, with an even broader smile, Dan was the first to break the silence, knowing exactly what the fox had in mind.

"We really look alike, isn't it ?"

"Why did you wait for me to wake up ?"

"I wouldn't like to get rid of my brother without sharing a lil' chit-chat with him first, even if just for once."

"I have no brother."

Nick was quick to respond, perhaps a bit too much actually, any

one could have assumed he had already anticipated this part of the conversation.

"Are you sure ?"

Only three little words, and Nick felt confused again, his mind had never been this perturbed in his entire life. He knew it ! It wasn't true. He has been raised as a only child, and that's it ! No one could contradict this fact, there was no way for him to have a brother. But… What with this… resemblance ? Why ?

The more confused Nick became, the more the whole situation turned into something oddly scary, creepy, insane ! He shut his eyes and wished hard at the moment that he would, maybe, wake up ? Yes, and then he would realize all of this had been a very bad crazy dream. All of this was false ! Hurrah guys ! He'd awkwardly apllaude himself on the middle of his bed, for no reason. But no, it wasn't a dream. It was reality, and it hit him hard as he heard another chuckle from Dan.

"We don't have the same mother, though, but we're still brothers."

But much to Dan's surprise, this time it was Nick's turn to chuckle.

"What make you laugh ?"

"Dad loves Mom way too much to look for someone else elsewhere."

"And yet I was born."

Nick's eyes narrowed. The confusion quickly turned into a feeling of strong annoyance as the conversation grew. He needed to put a stop to this topic.

"Even if I die, my partner will put you behind bars."

"If she gets this far, it's MY partner who will take care of her."

These words drove Nick mad. He attempted a sudden movment toward the fox only to be immediately blocked by his chains, hurting himself in the process, but it was the least of his concerns. The next second, he was staring at Dan with wide eyes and bared fangs, growling deeply, but it only made Dan amused at best.

"Easy ! Easy! No need to get excited."

"Don't touch her !" He barked with even more aggressiveness, only to receive a violent slap from Dan. Nick yelped. The unexpected gesture might have been powerful enough to dislocate his lower jaw, and he was glad it didn't. Yet, Nick felt some blood on the edge of his lips.

"Shush! I asked you to calm down! Do not show me your fangs, it's rude."

' _Tying someone up after having hit him with a baseball bat is a bit rude too_.' That's what he wanted to reply, but the words didn't come out. Instead, he wondered how this thin body could hide such a ridiculous high strenght. Dan wasn't notably muscled, not more than Nick - who still had fine thin muscles since the full six month of intensive training in the Academy - but the strenght was still astonishing.

He had no choice but to calm down, although his concerns didn't change.

"Judy…" His whisper was barely audible, but Dan got the sense.

"I feel like I've struck a nerve. Is this bunny so important for you ?"

Nick remained silent, trying his best to avoid his gaze, but Dan didn't pay attention to the nonresponse.

"I too, I had someone I cherished with so much love. My mother was the most adorable and the sweetest vixen of all times. I miss her a lot." He sighed. "She deserved a happy life." He looked back at Nick.

"You're so lucky, Nick. Your parents give you love and you even have important friends who care about you. I'm a bit envious... "

Ok. Nick had no doubt anymore concerning the criminal before him. He was the archetype of the odd job mammal… not a good news.

They were the criminals with soiled hands. Those who did the dirtiest tasks, generally commended by someone else. They were smart, with lot of skills and knowledge so there was barely nothing they can't do. They just carried out orders without saying a word, simply because they found no meaning in their life. In short, they were the most pathethic, and perhaps among the most dangerous. Being a smart criminal was one thing, but a smart criminal mixed with folly and no aim in life was another level.

"How sad... bro. You turned into a nasty little criminal because you were in lack of affection? Are you a crybaby? Stop yapping and do something of your life."

Deep inside Nick wondered why he could not just close his big mouth once in a while.

"You can start by releasing me and tell me where is the cargo. That's seems a good start. And then we will have all the time to discuss between brothers... in the interrogation room."

"Oh Nick. You are so tough." If his smile had momentarily faded because of the sarcastic comment, it was only for a few seconds. "Yup, I'm sure of it now. You and I are very similar and not only physically. "

"If I'm really like you I should worry about myself and consult someone."

It made Dan laugh. "Oh, come on. I know you're not serious, I'm sure you think I'm rather handsome."

Nick frowned. "Look, I don't know what happened to you, and I'm sorry for you and your mother but..."

"Do not talk about my mother!" He interrupted with a radical change in his tone. "Now, Nick, it's your turn to listen to me. I'm sure your life hasn't been easy for you too. We're both foxes after all... but I can assure you that you don't know what the real pain is. I can read it in your eyes." He slowly calmed down and turned around to take a wooden stool. He drew it near Nick and sat on it.

"Hey... Nick. We can take our time, right ? Let's get to know each other a little. Do you mind if I tell you my story?"

Benjamin Clawhauser was ready to begin his holidays. Of all the officers of Precint One, Clawhauser was the one with the fewest days off. For Bogo, the reasons were simple: his job was less risky than others's. Plus, the water buffalo considered the cheetah was already slacking off enough during his working hours for deserving more repose. In reality Clawhauser was more serious and efficient in his work than the appearances suggested. Yes, he was eating on duty or was testing new apps on his phone, but he met every time his commitments. The required work was always done in time, he was punctual. Therefore, the chief had finally gave him some days off and had even found a successor during his absence. But tonight, Benjamin wasn't that much enthousiastic. In normal circumstances, he'd get excited by the arrival of his holidays, but since a few days, his thought were focused on Judy and Nick. He was worried. It was dark outside, the police station was practically empty, and the cheetah was putting his office in order. For him, the last day of work was finally over. Well... officially only. Because when he was ready to leave the precint, the cheetah saw officer Fangmeyer running towards him.

"Ben! Wait! "

"What is it, Simon?"

The wolf was gasping heavily, trying to regain his breath as best as he could while keeping his eyes on Benjamin.

"We got news from officer Hopps."

The cheetah's eyes widened.

"Judy? Is she fine ? Any news concerning Nick? "

"She's fine. No news regarding Wilde, yet."

"I see." He looked down in disappointment.

"But, she asserts one of the culprit is a grizzly from the Great Massif. She's already on site."

"The Great Massif ?"

"Yes." The wolf frowned. "Do you know anybody from there?"

"Well, I do know someone who works there. He's not a grizlly though, but... "He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "- I am convinced he knows by heart almost all the inhabitants of the region."

Fangmeyer gave him a dubious look.

"How could it be possible?"

"There're no many other doctors in the area." Clawhauser dialed a number and held out the phone to his ear.

"I doubt he will respond in the middle of the night." The wolf remarked.

The phone rang several times but nothing happened.

The cheetah tried to call again. Fangmeyer could read the concern on his face, something he wasn't used to see from his colleague.

"By the way... Hopps asked for backup. Bogo has to be informed."

"I'll call him right after."

"What? Hey you can't do it now ! He's likely asleep. You'll be scolded. "

"If it's concerning Judy and Nick, he will understand."

Benjamin waited several seconds with the phone against his ear. The dial tone of the phone kept repeating for a time that seemed endless for both officers, but eventually, the cheetah heard someone on the other end.

"Hello?"

In the basement, the two foxes remained silent for a moment. Several minutes had passed since Dan had spoken, and there were several empty bottles on the floor.

Although Nick felt physically okay, the story that Dan had told him so far didn't make him more relaxed, not even a little.

"So, you tell me you were the mammal responsible of the fire in Taison School ?"

"Yes."

Nick knew this school, if the school term was appropriate. It was a reform school for disruptive children. He had already heard about the fire. It was long time ago, though, back when Nick was still a kid. Most people had likely forgotten this event, and Nick considered it was a miracle that he remembered it, even just as a very distant memory. The news remained for several days the headlines of Zootopia : "Fire destroys school Taison." It said. "Two victims reported."

The school had always had a bad reputation. Some children there were violent enough to start off some potentially deadly fights, sometimes for barely no reason. The educational and administrative team was not better. The punishments they inflicted to their students were more than once punished by the courts for being inappropriate and immoral. The owner of the establishment was likely the worst of them all, and he didn't hesitate to lift his paw against a student.

In short, it was a crazy place, run by savages for savages. A place ruled by one instruction and one instruction only: "everyone for themselves", like in any other prison.

"How did you end up there?"

"Physical abuse." The tone of his voice was very casual. He reached out to the side and grabbed another bottle. "Want more?"

Nick nodded so Dan threw toward him the bottle he caught with his free paw. Both foxes drank a few gulps before Dan continued his story.

"There are three ways to become a popular and respected kit in primary school. You can either be good at sports, you can make your classmates laugh, or you can be the tough guy who beat everyone. I combines two of the three methods. First I made them laugh, and then I beat them all."

Dan expressed his amusement with a smile.

"I had a friend with whom I enjoyed playing and fighting with. We wanted to know which of us was the strongest. Unlike me he was a prey, but when you're a little kit, you don't care about everyone's differences. After all, friendship between prey and predator is a common thing."

He took another sip.

"But one day during our games I bit him on the neck. It was an accident, of course, but I bit him... and I bit him well! And blood spurted ! All around us ! On the walls, on the floor, on my face…" He exaggerated his words with dramatized arm movements.

Nick didn't say a word. He was surprisingly close to indifference, even though the story was anything but boring, with spicy events and comments.

"This is the kind of moment you begin to fully realize what differences are. Reality struck you hard, and everyone starting from this moment will make you remember what you are, whether you like it or not. "

Still another sip, Then he smiled again.

"Of course I was kicked out. And I never saw my friend since then. I've just heard once that he was okay. His life wasn't in danger anymore. I guess that's all that matters. But anyway, this is when I landed in Taison School."

"My mother had joined the school too, as a cleaning lady. We had been forced to move after the accident. And, because she knew the bad reputation of the school, she wanted to incorporate it to keep an eye on me and also to protect me. "

His grin grew wider.

"I remember she had yelled at me after the accident in my previous school. Yet, I was able to feel how much she truly cared about me. She was so sweet ! "He hugged himself on the last words, with the bottle still in paw.

"And so patient, in addition to that. I never knew where she drew such wisdom. "

"After each violent fight with my new comrades, I remember, I constantly asked her... Mom? Are you mad at me ? She answered : No Dan, I'm not angry. I know you're a good boy. And then I said : Mom? What about them ? Why aren't you angry with these people? They treat us like we're less than nothing ! And then she explained to me that responding to violence with violence was meaningless, that I should not let them see I'm affected by their bullying. "

Sounds like exactly Nick's mantra to his ears, as if it was unknowingly and sadly, an universal rule for any fox in the world. Dan grinned weakly. For once, Nick's interlocutor seemed fragile, as if all the conversation he had set up since a half-hour had trully exhausted him.

He ran his finger around the neck of his empty bottle and drew circles on it.

"In the end, I end up burning the entire school."

He brought back the bottle to his lips, forgetting that the bottle was already empty.

"Such a pathetic show."

Nick wanted to ask him the reason that had pushed him to commit the irreparable, but apparently, Dan noticed the concern on his face and he gave him the answer to his unasked question.

"I think the real trigger was the day when my mother has been fired. I remember one rascal had robbed the shcool's keyring from my mother to steal the laboratory's material, and of course she was held responsible for this. "

"It was the first time I saw my mother give up on something. What I felt this day was so… foreign for me. I mean… she was sobbing… for real ! She never let me see such raw emotions before. We were living so miserably and her job was the only thing which served to pay the slums that served us as roof. "

To support his words, Dan looked the dull ceiling of the cellar, and at first Nick didn't notice that the fox was suddendly in tears.

"Eventually, the day I set the fire, the rascal who stole the material had confessed his guilt to the principal. My mother was acquitted."

He rubbed his wetting eyes with his paw. "Who would have thought?" He said, falsely amused before releasing a long, painful sigh.

Then nothing.

For several long seconds, he kept staring at the ceiling, and Nick felt a chill run down his spine, he opened his eyes wide as he anticipated in his mind the end of the story. Dan gave him a friendly smile, almost affectionate.

"I had no idea that my mother had been summoned that day."

His grin, forever steadfast. He looked again at his empty bottle and played with it, rotating the bottleneck between his fingers.

"Probably the director had proposed her a rehabilitation ? Well... How could I know ?"

"The only thing I've heard after my escape is that there was a kid trapped between the huge flames. A delinquent, like anyone else. But despite the instant evacuation of both students and teachers caused by the growing fire, my mother was the only one who remained inside, trying to save an innocent child... a naughty mammal, yet more innocent than me, probably. "

He looked back at Nick.

"Whatever... I'm still a good boy, I am?"

Dan stood up and approached Nick.

"I killed my mother!"

He cried.

"You understand now ? Why you're the lucky one? "

Nick didn't say a word.

"How would you react? If you were responsible of the death of a loved one?

No answers.

"So... that's why ! That's totally unfair! It's unfair I'm the only one of us to suffer this much! "

Dan came closer and closer to Nick, until he met him with open arms, holding him tight against his own body, in a powerful embrace.

"I don't care anymore, I don't care about whatever may happen now."

Nick felt his own heartbeat accelerating while Dan hugged him with a rising force. The cop had his muzzle trapped against the chest of his captor, forcing him to remain in apnea. Dan placed one paw on the back of his skull, near the injured spot, and put an abnormally powerful pressure on it. There were no doubts anymore on his intention, he was trying to kill him!

"What about you Nick ?"

His voice became a soft whisper. He tilted his head to one side, pressing his cheek between Nick's flattened ears.

"Would you be able to love me as a brother? Like the way my mother loved me as her son ?"

Although he was running out of air, Nick tried to scream, but his cries were completely muffled against the body of his opponent. His free arm was gesticulating in all directions against Dan's back. His lungs were almost empty and the powerful grip of Dan made every movements restricted and painful. He heard a thud. Was it his back creaking under the pressure? Or maybe his snout that had just broken? He didn't know what case it was, but he couldn't care about it, and, in a desperate attempt to survive, he violently planted his claws on the back of his opponent.

Dan cringed, but was trying to focus on maintaining the strength of his grip, what he succesfully did for several last seconds. Just a few seconds, but it seemed to last an eternity for Nick, whose heart was slowing down dangerously. But ultimately, while his claws penetrated and lacerated Dan's flesh, the latter painfully groaned and finally released his grip. Just a bit, though. But it was enough for Nick to violentlly bite the criminal on the ribs, piercing his skin with his sharp, predator teeth. Dan screamed in pain before finally pulling back.

Nick was now in the process of regaining his breath. He looked up to meet the eyes of his aggressor, both were gasping loudly.

Dan stood there, motionless, and when the two finally found back a more or less normal breathing, Dan broke the silence.

"Ok, you know what ? You won this time. Tell yourself that if you're still alive, it's because of my whim. Your death will not affect my mind in any way. "

Nick didn't answer again.

"Don't worry. Your time will come soon. I promised my partner I'll kill you, and I intend to fulfill my job. But he's asleep right now, he's not supposed to know you're awake."

He smiled back at him despite the ever-present pain on his ribs and on his back, then he winked.

"This whole thing was exhausting ! I feel so tired ! So, what I'm gonna do right now, I go upstairs to rest a few hours or so, and you, you stay there, and I want you to be quiet."

He reached deep in his pocket and pulled out an object that gave new thrills to Nick. He opened his jaws to scream but it was already too late, Dan firmly shut his mouth with his left paw, and with the right one, he put the muzzle on him and quickly tightened it around him. Then, Nick offered no more resistance. He was shaking. His body and his mind refused to work as his past fears returned to him with lightning speed. He looked down to the ground, but Dan placed his paws on each of his cheeks to make him look in his eyes one more time.

"Shhh, calm down my brother. I know what you're feeling ! I know it's not easy for you." He gently stroked the fur between his ears.

"The pain you feel right now, that's what I feel constantly! I may speak openly with you right now but... you can see it, isn't it? This invisible muzzle I'm wearing ? "

Then he went back on the stairs. Halfway, he turned around one last time to face the kidnapped mammal. "Have a good night, my brother."


End file.
